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The Emirates flight 203, from Dubai, was carrying about 500 passengers and landed around 9:06 am, according to a source.
"I asked for a mask from (the flight attendant) even before we took off, but there was none available," said Erin Sykes, passenger, since CNN. "It was so obvious that a lot of people were sick before take off."
The nonstop flight was smooth, said Sykes, so she did not believe the troubles were related to turbulence or air sickness.
"People were coughing all the time, now some people have more than 100% fevers," she said. "They should never have been allowed to board."
While a source at the New York Port Authority and New Jersey initially said that about 100 passengers were feeling sick, the airline said only about 10 passengers "got sick."
"As a precaution, they were immediately checked by the local health authorities and those in need of medical care will be taken care of," Emirates said in a statement. "All other passengers will disembark shortly."
Seven crew members and five passengers were taken to the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, the source told the port authority. Other passengers are still being assessed, the source said.
Passenger Larry Coben refused to speak to the media, but his tweets documented that ambulances were converging on the tarmac after landing the plane, CDC forms that passengers had to fill, passengers disembarking and taking their temperatures, Terminal.
"Glad to report that I'm going through customs and coming home," he tweeted just after 11 am (Eastern Time).
Port Authority spokesman Scott Ladd posed questions to the State Department of Health, but confirmed that health officials were on the scene. Department of Health officials could not be contacted immediately for comment.
The plane was taken to a "difficult area" where paramedics and officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reacted to the scene, the source said.
The CDC said it was aware that passengers "report an unspecified illness" on board an Emirates flight and that health authorities are working with local authorities to investigate the cause.
Mark Morales and Gianluca Mezzofiore of CNN contributed to this report.
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