HALIFAX – Passengers arriving at Halifax Stanfield International Airport from international destinations will now be screened for Ebola before being allowed into the country, officials say.
The airport is one of six airports in Canada enhancing its passenger screening processes for the disease.
The screenings will be conducted by quarantine officials employed by the federal public health agency.
Other airports with enhanced Ebola screening are in much larger cities, but Halifax’s airport was chosen specifically because of its location.
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“A medical diversion of a flight from Africa to North America or from Europe to North America passes right over our head,” said Spurway.
He added that Halifax does not have any regularly scheduled flights from any of the Ebola-affected African countries. However, 10 to 15 flights crossing the Atlantic Ocean from any number of countries are forced to land in Halifax each year.
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Passengers arriving from the United States said the safety measures are encouraging, although perhaps ineffective.
“I think it’ll make some people feel safer,” said Dorothy Anger, arriving from Boston. “I don’t really think it’s going to prevent ebola from getting into the country.
“Just because you don’t have a fever doesn’t mean you can’t come down with ebola three days later. That’s what that guy in Dallas did.”
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