While the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the state is low, the Department of Transportation says it has an action plan already in place. Since last weekend, West Hawaii Today has received several calls from residents upset about a rumored DOT policy to divert all planes carrying passengers displaying potential symptoms of the deadly virus to Kona International Airport. DOT Public Information Officer Caroline Sluyter and Dr. James Ireland, the state airports’ medical director, dismissed the rumor, saying the claim was untrue. Instead, Sluyter and Ireland emphasized the policies and procedures Hawaii has maintained for nearly a decade to detect, stop and react quickly to infectious and deadly viruses that may be introduced by travelers. Ireland reassured the public that such diseases are always being looked for. He also expressed confidence in the readiness of airport staff statewide to immediately respond should a disease-related situation arise. Hawaii was the first state to establish such enhanced airport surveillance in 2005, which was then in response to concerns about avian influenza and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. The program was initiated through a memorandum of understanding between DOT, the state Department of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Ireland added. “Hawaii’s airports system has protocols in place for infectious disease and we are continually working with our partners at the state Department of Health, the airlines and Centers for Disease Control to update the protocols for Ebola and other infectious diseases,” Sluyter said. “As a reminder, there are no direct flights from West Africa into Hawaii. The CDC has set up new, more stringent screenings at five mainland airports that receive the majority of passengers from that region.” Subscribers follow the link for the full story by WHT reporter Carolyn Lucas-Zenk.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 05:15:12 +0000
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