UAE to isolate passengers with respiratory distress
ALL RESIDENTS TRAVELLING ABROAD WILL BE SCREENED UPON THEIR RETURN
People arriving in the UAE from places that have a high rate of transmission of the Covid-19 virus will be admitted to hospital and isolated if they display symptoms of respiratory infection, with or without fever, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced yesterday.
A circular issued by the ministry lists 10 places — China, Hong Kong, Italy, Iran, Japan, Germany, Singapore, France, Kuwait and Bahrain — that reported local transmission of Covid-19 in the last 14 days.
Passengers who arrive from or have travelled to these places in this period will be placed in isolation if they present symptoms of upper and lower respiratory infection such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.
Even people with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections, without lab results to explain the illness, will be admitted to an isolation facility.
The UAE announced six new cases on Tuesday and two on Wednesday, taking the total cases to 29. Five coronavirus patients have recovered.
Enhanced screening
Maj Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Dubai Police Chief and Head of Dubai’s Crisis and Disaster Management Team, said that enhanced screening measures
are in place for travellers entering the UAE from high-risk countries. These measures do not apply to transit passengers.
Procedures include a swab test and health questionnaire. Travellers should be aware that this may add 2-3 hours to their journey time, he pointed out.
The ministry also urged citizens and residents to avoid travelling abroad. If travel is a must, they will be subjected to screening for the coronavirus upon their return. In case of infection, they will be isolated in health facilities during treatment.
Passengers arriving from China, Italy, Lebanon, Thailand and Syria are already being screened as per prescribed standards.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Health Authority said that people coming into the emirate were being screened discreetly, non-contact thermal cameras.
Dubai Health Authority is conducting regular screening of all passengers coming into the city through all its terminals as discreetly as possible in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Dr Manal Al Taryam, Chief Executive Officer of the Primary Health Care sector at DHA, said yesterday.
In an interview at the DHA headquarters she clarified that all those coming into the emirate were being screened by discreet, non contact thermal cameras.
“We are very sensitive and careful not to incovenience passengers and also make sure that the entire process does not take more than 45 minutes. The noncontact thermal cameras are placed at strategic locations in the hall and everyone entering Dubai is screened.
“For those passengers coming from the ‘affected’ countries as per the WHO list, a nasal swab test is done if the cameras find them running a temperature. The results take about six hours and we ask people coming from these countries to keep themselves in self-imposed isolation until results are out. We keep in touch with the travellers through public health centres and the DHA toll free number to provide them the results. We follow the international protocol and if found positive, we take these people for further lab investigations,” explained Dr Taryam.
She said children travelling with parents who have to undergo nasal swabs are not isolated alone. “The protocol for adults and children is the same, but we do not isolate children by themselves, and allow them to be with their parents until results are out. In case of those testing positive, the UAE has designated quarantine wards at hospitals where they keep patients for recovery.”
Home isolation
As per the directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) which is running a centralised screening operation in wake of Covid 19, Dr Taryam reiterated that people in Dubai are being asked to put “off unneccessary travel to “designated countries”.
“The list of countries is not constant and is changing as per the number of cases being reported everyday. That is why it is advisable if people do not travel unless entirely necessary. If they do and once they return from these coutnries it is important they keep themselves in a 14-day home isolation in case they feel unwell as the virus has a 14-day gestation period,” she advised.
WHO directives
She clarified that people coming from places that were not on the WHO list of Covid 19 countries were not being indiscriminately placed in 14-day quarantine. “As of now that is the situation, but the list is ever changing and we are following the WHO directives.”
We are very sensitive and careful not to incovenience passengers and also make sure that the entire process does not take more than 45 minutes. The noncontact thermal cameras are placed at strategic locations in the hall and everyone entering Dubai is screened.”
Dr Manal Al Taryam | Chief Executive Officer of the Primary Health Care sector at DHA
Dr Taryam advised all Dubai residents visiting public places, especially airports, to practise basic hand hygiene.
“Wash your hands as frequently as possible, use hand sanitisers, do not touch external surfaces and avoid touching your face as far as possible,” added Dr Taryam.