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The passengers of Emirates flight EK203 from Dubai to New York have been sent into a quarantine at New York's Kennedy airport as a precautionary measure after several people reported sick on board.
The New York City mayor’s office said that the Emirates flight has been quarantined amid reports of numerous ill passengers aboard it from Dubai that arrived at New York’s Kennedy Airport, AP news reported.
In its official statement, UAE's major air carrier Emirates confirmed the news and said that safety of the passengers is their first priority.
"About 10 passengers on EK203 from Dubai to New York were taken ill. On arrival, as a precaution, they were attended to by local health authorities. All others will disembark shortly. The safety and care of our customers is our first priority," Emirates' statement said.
Statement: Emirates can confirm that about 10 passengers on #EK203 from Dubai to New York were taken ill. On arrival, as a precaution, they were attended to by local health authorities. All others will disembark shortly. The safety & care of our customers is our first priority.
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) September 5, 2018
However, local media reports suggest that the number of passengers reporting sickness is as high as 100.
BREAKING: An Emirates A380 in quarantine at JFK Airport right now awaiting CDC officials after about 100 passengers became ill with fevers over 100 degrees and coughing. Flight 203 had just arrived from Dubai. pic.twitter.com/lyUgNbMaEW
— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) September 5, 2018
According to the latest report in local media, the Emirates flight landed in New York at around 9:10 am (06:40 pm IST) on Wednesday.
Video from news helicopters showed the jet sitting on the tarmac surrounded by ambulances, emergency vehicles and airport personnel.
Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, says representatives of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were on the scene. Phillips tweeted that the flight stopped in Mecca, which is experiencing a flu outbreak, and “early indications point to that as a possibility.”
FDNY ambulances on the tarmac to transport sick passengers. https://t.co/53AnFS2Ygk
— Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) September 5, 2018