Passengers coming into Glacier Park International Airport and the Whitefish train depot will be screened for COVID-19 by Montana National Guard service members starting Friday, April 3.

Unarmed service members will screen deplaning passengers at all commercial airports in Montana as directed by Gov. Steve Bullock issued March 30. The screening includes passengers of Amtrak’s Empire Builder passenger train that travels daily through Whitefish.

All arriving passengers at airport terminals, train stations and most privately owned operations at major airports will be screened, Maj. Gen. Andrew Quinn, also the leader of the Montana COVID-19 Task Force, said in a press release.

In total, 73 servicemen and women will be sent to 11 cities and 17 locations, according to a Montana National Guard press release.

Each location will have a Montana National Guard liaison officer working with local disaster and emergency services representatives, public health officials and airport management. All service members will be trained in proper screening protocol, how to wear protective equipment and will be fully versed on the governor’s directive.

The screenings are voluntary and intended to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the community. Inbound passengers will be asked by members of the Montana National Guard to share relevant travel and health history, and to have their temperature taken following travel. If a passenger exhibits a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, the Montana National Guard will escort the traveler to a separate room where they will be screened by a medical professional and, if needed, referred to the local Flathead City-County Health Department.

On Monday, Bullock issued a quarantine directive asking everyone who travels into the state for non-work-related purposes to self-quarantine for 14 days following out-of-state travel. The directive applies to residents and non-residents.

The number of passengers traveling through Glacier Park International has decreased significantly in the past month, dropping substantially the last two weeks of March. Many carriers are canceling flights the day before they are scheduled because of low passenger volumes, but some domestic flights — like a daily direct route between Kalispell and Seattle on Alaska Air — are still running. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airline carrier prior to traveling to ensure they have the most up-to-date information.

“We want to assure residents and travelers that this practice is being implemented as a precaution to help flatten the curve in our community,” Airport Director Rob Ratkowski said in a press release. “Seeing our Montana National Guard in the airport may be a surprise to some and we wanted to let folks know ahead of time that this is no cause for concern.”

Quinn added, “In this time of need, the National Guard team will conduct screening with professionalism and will always treat Montana citizens and visitors with the dignity and respect they are entitled to.”

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com. Reporter Colin Gaiser contributed to this report.