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Port Authority Gates Briefly Close After Man Says He Has Ebola: Officials

By  Ben Fractenberg and Noah  Hurowitz | March 2, 2017 7:29pm 

 Part of the lower level of the Port Authority Bus Terminal was closed for several hours Thursday after a male passenger said he had the Ebola virus, March 2, 2017.
Part of the lower level of the Port Authority Bus Terminal was closed for several hours Thursday after a male passenger said he had the Ebola virus, March 2, 2017.
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DNAinfo/Noah Hurowitz

MIDTOWN — Part of the Port Authority Bus Terminal was shut down for a few hours Thursday evening after a passenger arriving at the station claimed to have the Ebola virus, officials said.

The man was taken from the terminal to Bellevue Hospital at about 3:56 p.m, an FDNY spokesman said. Several gates on the lower level were closed while doctors examined him.

"A person self-reporting Ebola at Port Authority was transported via FDNY ambulance to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue late this afternoon. Early reports indicate this person has never traveled outside the United States, which at this point makes it extremely unlikely this person is infected with Ebola," the Health Department said in a statement.

"The Health Department and NYC Health + Hospitals, will evaluate the patient to determine if an Ebola test is required and evaluate for other causes of illness."

A Greyhound employee, who did not wanted to be named, said he saw the man get off a bus and tell people, "he had Ebola." 

"I saw he was bleeding a bit from his ears," the worker added.

The lower level of the north wing was closed down for a few hours and reopened a little after 6 p.m., according to reports.