60 Minutes crew held at Sydney Airport, faces 3 weeks Ebola monitoring after Africa visit

A reporting crew from 60 Minutes was held at Sydney Airport for over four hours this morning after returning from Sierra Leone.

The crew, including reporter Michael Usher, was in the African country filming a story about the Ebola crisis and it is believed they may have visited a burial site during the trip.

They were held in an isolated room while Customs and Quarantine officers screened them for the disease.

A medical team from the NSW Department of Health was also called to the airport to assess the staff.

A spokesman said: "They had no other significant symptoms, no fever, appeared otherwise well and reported no high risk factors for Ebola virus disease." 

They had their temperatures taken and returned normal readings before being released from the airport about midday.

It is understood the assessment was standard procedure for arrivals in Australia who have been in the presence of Ebola patients or burial sites.

"NSW Health public health staff reviewed the travellers and determined that their Ebola exposures were low risk," the spokesman said.

"The group has been released from the airport and will be monitored by local public health units for up to 21 days as per NSW Health protocol."