Ebola red alert kicks in
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday August 13, 2014 14:41
Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are in the throes of an eight-month Ebola outbreak that by Saturday had killed 1,013 people within 1,848 cases.
Teams of three nurses at each aviation border with a doctor on standby around the clock have been dispatched as part of Rapid Response Teams, which will form the frontline of Botswana’s effort to firstly prevent then contain any Ebola infiltration.
The National Epidemic Response Committee, last formed for the HIN1 flue outbreak in 2009, has been reactivated to coordinate the Ebola response, with actors such as police, immigration, civil aviation, NGOs and others. Government has also suspended all training and travel from the public service to the four countries, according to an urgent Savingram to all permanent secretaries, the BDF, police, district commissioners, the legislature, local government, land boards and other departments.
“Addressees are advised that training and/or external travel to Ebola affected countries is suspended until further notice,” wrote Public Service director, Carter Morupisi.
“You are therefore strongly advised to suspend travel or sending employees for training to the affected countries. Training institutions are equally directed to suspend receiving trainees from these countries.”
Yesterday, Health deputy permanent secretary, Shenaaz El-Halabi told a stakeholders’ briefing that part of the new comprehensive Preparedness Plan involved screening of all arrivals from West Africa and the suspension of visas to the four worst affected.
“We are not allowing visitors from the four countries to come in,” she said.
“There may be those who had visas issued to them prior to the outbreak, but these will not be recognised any more. Visitors from West Africa will be subject to a thorough screening process and we strongly urge Batswana to desist from travelling there.
“The challenge is issues of human rights but from our side, we will continue with educating on why you should defer your travel.”
El-Halabi added: “We are spreading the message that unless it is absolutely necessary, don’t go to the affected countries and the area. You will return home and the necessary investigations will be done and if we find that you are highly suspicious, we will quarantine you.
“You will be back home, but not at home.”
Officials said screening would involve questioning and physical examination, following which suspected cases would be referred to designated Ebola isolation facilities. For Greater Gaborone, the facilities are at Block 8 Clinic, Tlokweng and Mogoditshane.
Immigration officials will also probe a passenger’s travel history over three months with a view to establishing whether they have had contact with the Ebola hit areas.
“A Mozambican passenger had travelled to Nigeria before and immigration called us about this because they are spot-on and will look at your travel history over three months,” El-Halabi said.
“They have now introduced tags so that if a passenger misses any checkpoint at Immigration, they are sent back.”
The Rapid Response teams are on alert around the clock, with information coming through on every flight that lands at a local airport. At present, the National Epidemic Response Committee’s focus is on aviation borders, where Ebola could breach Botswana’s defences within half a day. Passengers arriving by road from the affected countries would likely have physical symptoms by the time of their arrival, as these appear within days of infection. They are however also subject to screening.
While Ebola has a 21-day incubation period, its symptoms may be visible within 10 days.