Ebola virus: BOQ heightens watch

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Quarantine is monitoring tourists arriving in Cebu after cases of Ebola virus has been reported in some parts of Africa.

The BOQ assured that its office and the Mactan Cebu International Airport are working together to closely monitor the arrivals in the airport.

BOQ Duty Doctor Joycelyn Gonzales said that the temperature of the passengers would be determined using the thermal camera placed in the entrance of the international arrival section.

She explained that a temperature of 36.5 degrees celsius is the lowest that their thermal cameras would detect and passengers with a temperature above this will be invited to their office to give their travel history so authorities can trace where the passengers came from before going to the Philippines.

If a passenger is possibly infected with the deadly Ebola virus or the A H1N1, the passenger would be quarantined within 10 days at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, which is the only accredited hospital to handle such case.

The Ebola virus has recently claimed numerous lives in Guinea and Liberia, prompting many neighboring countries to increase their watch against it.

The Department of Health assured that the Philippines remains free from the virus and that there is a small chance for it to reach the country. — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo and Bong Soriano of Banat News/ATO