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The Emirates flight 203, from Dubai, was carrying more than 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 well 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 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a source at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that a hundred passengers were feeling sick, the airline said that only a dozen passengers were "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, a source from the port authority said. Other passengers are still being assessed, the source said.
Passenger Larry Coben refused to speak to the media, but his tweets documented that ambulances converged on the tarmac after landing the aircraft, CDC forms that passengers had to fill, passengers disembarking and their temperatures taken,.
"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 New York State Department of Health, but confirmed that health officials were on hand. Department of Health officials could not be contacted immediately for comment.
The plane was taken to a "difficult area" where paramedics and CDC officials reacted to the scene, the source said.
The CDC said that the passengers "complained of illness, including cough and some had fever" and that the health authorities were working with the local authorities to take their temperatures and transport the sick to the hospital. .
"Passengers who are not ill will be allowed to continue their travel plans and, if necessary, they will be followed by health officials," the agency said.
Mark Morales, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Debra Goldschmidt of CNN contributed to this report.
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