Changi Airport begins Ebola screening

It was business as usual at Changi Airport yesterday, as the Ministry of Health began screening inbound travellers for the deadly Ebola virus at noon.

New signs have been placed in the arrival halls, directing people to get their temperatures checked if they are nationals or travellers from countries with reported Ebola virus activity.

The six affected countries are Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Travellers will be required to answer a questionnaire on exposure to Ebola and fill in a health declaration card, the ministry said on Tuesday.

Only those who are cleared will be directed to the duty desk at the arrival hall to clear immigration control.

Those found to have a fever will be taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for further medical assessment, while those who are well but have been identified as having possible exposure to Ebola virus infection will be quarantined or put under surveillance, depending on the risk assessment.

Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa since an outbreak began this year.

There are no direct flights between Singapore and these countries, said a Changi Airport Group spokesman.

This article was first published on Oct 16, 2014.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.