Ebola screening begins at Abuja airport

Domestic and international inbound passengers are now being subjected to intense screening at the Abuja airport as part of measures to curtail the spread of the deadly Ebola virus through the Abuja airport.

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Port Health Services, a division of the Ministry of Health commenced the exercise at the airport last week Friday with Emirates’ passengers being the first to be screened.

Yesterday at the international arrival wing of the airport, over 200 passengers who arrived aboard Ethiopian Airline Flight 911 at 12:30pm were the first to be screened for the day.

The nationalities of the passengers include: Sudanese, Chinese, Zimbabweans, UAE, among other African and European nationals. The exercise, an official said, is now a daily routine for international and domestic arrivals at the airport.

Our reporter who monitored the exercise observed that it was carried out with the use of a special thermometers directed towards the passengers to take their temperature.

“If your temperature is normal, usually below 37 (degrees centigrade), you will be allowed to go but anything beyond 37 you will be asked to step aside and you will be checked more closely,” a port health official said.

Some passengers who spoke on the exercise gave their impression on the screening.

“It was a normal thing to be done, thorough. It would have been better if they told the passengers inside the plane that they will be screened,” said Engr. Sheriff, a Sudanese.

“It is a good thing, but at least they should concentrate on West African countries” said Mrs. Iwenji Ora who arrived from Dubai.

“It is very good, I am impressed. I am wondering if we will be able to cope because now the scare is very much there. This is very reassuring that something is being done,” said Mr. Obiaja, who arrived from Ethiopia.

Spokesperson for the airport, Mrs. Henrietta B. Yakubu, said no case has been identified since the screening began.