To avoid being caught by surprise again, the United States has decided to intensify its watch on travelers from Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa as it imposes a daily monitoring for Ebola symptoms for 21 days.

Federal health employees, American aid workers, as well as journalists who have travelled from the three worst-hit countries in West Africa will be asked to report their temperature every day to prevent another Ebola case from sneaking into the country unnoticed.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program is set to begin on Monday and will pioneer in six states representing 70 percent of travelers from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and New Guinea.

CDC Director Thomas Frieden explained that the program will be expanded to other states in the coming days and should extend to "every person coming back to the country for the 21 days they are at risk for Ebola."

States included in the initial launch of the program include Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Georgia, and New Jersey.

"Care kits" which include thermometers, instructions on self-monitoring their temperature, recording logs as well as contact information and a card to present to health care providers will be distributed to individuals who arrive from the countries in West Africa.

According to Frieden, these people should check and report their temperatures to the CDC at least once a day and will be required to leave their most updated contact information with federal health officials.

"These new measures I'm announcing today will give additional levels of safety so that people who develop symptoms of Ebola are isolated early in the course of their illness," he declared, advising travelers that if they feel sick, they should "get care quickly because that could save your life and protect your family."

Latest reports from the World Health Organization revealed at least 4,877 people out of 9,936 confirmed, suspected and probable cases of Ebola have died during the outbreak since it began during the first quarter of 2014.

TagsCDC, thomas duncan, Thomas Frieden, WHO, Travel, Virus, outbreak, Africa, Sierra Leone, new guinea