Newark Airport passenger being tested for Ebola does not have virus, CDC says

Health care workers display protective gear, which hospital staff would wear to protect them from an Ebola virus infection, inside an isolation room as part of a media tour of the emergency department of Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York October 8, 2014. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A passenger who arrived at Newark Airport from West Africa Tuesday and was being evaluated for possible Ebola does not have the virus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said Wednesday.

The man was taken to Newark's University Hospital for evaluation when an airport screening detected symptoms similar to those when exposed to the virus, according to The Star-Ledger.

A CDC official said Wednesday the patient was not tested for the Ebola virus, but was cleared by other means.

The patient, who had been on a United Airlines flight from Brussels, started his trip in Liberia, The New York Post reported.

Newark Liberty is one of five airports the Obama administration now requires all U.S.-bound passengers from West Africa to pass through.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he signed an executive order to create an Ebola virus joint response team to coordinate on Ebola preparedness in the state.

No patients have been diagnosed with Ebola in New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.