Last Sunday, at 5:00p.m., at the Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel, the Belgian Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and the Environment announced new measures for immediate implementation against Ebola that complement those already taken by Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines. All passengers arriving at Brussels Airport from Ebola-affected countries - namely Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - will undergo remote body temperature checks when they step off the plane.
Dr. Erika Vlieghe, Belgium’s national Ebola coordinator, said that this measure covered four flights per week – that is to say, a thousand passengers. "If a person’s temperature is above 38 degrees, a nurse will ask him to step aside. He will then be taken to a special room. He will have to answer a questionnaire and talk to a doctor from Brussels Airport medical service to assess the spreading risk associated with the virus. "
The safety and security of the baggage screening process will also be enhanced. A specialized firm was hired last Friday to check luggage coming from Ebola-hit regions. It has been operational since Saturday. Transporting food from countries at risk will be prohibited. Luggage will be placed in containers and undergo additional screening. Suspicious items will be destroyed by the specialized firm operating at Brussels Airport and other baggage will be decontaminated inside the container.
A communication platform has been created to make available information easily accessible to all airport employees.
(Source: Belga)
