Emirate Air Passengers Arrive from Dubai with Fevers, Coughing Upon Landing at JFK

Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Arcturus

More than a dozen passengers on Emirates Air Flight #203 direct from Dubai arrived at JFK International Airport in New York on Wednesday afternoon suffering with coughs, high fevers and other symptoms.

New York City Mayor’s Office spokesperson Eric Phillips said 19 passengers were sick, with 10 admitted to Jamaica Hospital in Queens and nine who refused medical attention.

The plane has since been quarantined as a precaution, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control came to the site along with other medical officials.

According to New York City Mayor’s office spokesperson Eric Phillips, there is a “possibility” that some of the passengers may have caught the flu while in Mecca on piligrimage for Hajj, prior to boarding at Dubai.