Following the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic
of Congo on Friday, the Nigerian government has beefed up checks at its various
airports.
The federal government also urged Nigerians to remain calm
as it is committed to ensuring that the disease is not imported into the
country.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, spoke while
inspecting thermal screening machines at the Port Health Stand of the Nnamdi
Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“We want to assure Nigerians that we have never stopped
screening people, it has been going on at the international wing of all the
airports in the country, although passengers may not have noticed it”, a
statement by the ministry on Monday quoted Mr. Adewole as saying.
“There is no reason to panic, everything is under control.
If there is a need to screen local passengers we would do that but for now we
are concentrating on passengers on international travels,” he said.
The minister was at the airport to assess if the screening machines
were functioning perfectly as Nigeria stepped up surveillance in detecting
fever of any kind.
The country began health screening at international airports
during the Ebola crisis of 2014, and the screening has continued since then.
Mr. Adewole urged the public to report any signs or symptoms
of fever to the nearest health facility.
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