Bahamas holds off on Ebola travel ban

Saturday, October 18, 2014

BY RASHAD ROLLE and RICARDO WELLS

AS nations throughout the Caribbean impose travel bans and restrictions on foreigners who have moved through the Ebola-affected countries of west Africa, the Bahamas has decided not to close its ports at this time, government health officials said last night.

However, Dr Glen Beneby, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in the Ministry of Health, said workers at the ports are being educated and their awareness of Ebola increased, and should it become necessary the country would close its ports to those travelling from Ebola-affected regions.

“We have not decided to close our ports,” he said. “We decided to increase awareness of persons at ports and to have protocols in place for how to handle situations. If it becomes necessary to take the step of closing our ports, then that will be made but at this present moment we have not decided to do that.”

Dr Beneby added that every island is ready to deal with Ebola, although there are different levels of readiness among islands throughout the archipelago.

Dr Charlene Bain, Community Health Administrator in the Department of Public Health, said: “We have 56 central sites on a daily basis reporting matters of public health interest. With Ebola, we’ve enhanced what we’ve already been doing, targetting every major Family Island. Our team is presently in San Salvador. We’ve completed Rum Cay; we’ll be in Eleuthera on Sunday. Every island will be reached, and every island will have a stockpile of supplies in the event that something reaches their door.”

Dr Bain added that by Wednesday, every major Family Island or clinic will have the necessary equipment needed to deal with any possible Ebola case.

Mary Lightbourne Walker, Hospital Administrator at the Princess Margaret Hospital, emphasised that medical professionals have what is necessary to deal with Ebola. “We are in possession of the protective equipment necessary,” she said. “We have been training staff. We want people to be as comfortable as possible. Part of that training is being able to put on and take off the equipment. We are following world health guidelines.”

The statements of the medical professionals came as Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said yesterday that while the country remains on high alert, there is no travel ban in effect at this time. The issue, he said, remains a live one for the government and announcements will be made if the circumstances should require it.

FNM leader and former Minister of Health Dr Hubert Minnis also warned that should Ebola enter the Bahamas it could mean economic devastation.

Residents are becoming more alarmed due to the country’s accessibility and lack of Ebola screenings at ports of entry despite more international cases of the disease being confirmed daily.

Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia have all this week announced immediate travel bans on anyone that would have come from or through Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where nearly 4,500 people have died from Ebola.

Earlier this month the Ministry of Health released a 51-page Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan which was heavily scrutinised by some government and healthcare personnel for its lack of public education and medical training.

There is mounting global concerns that residents from affected west African nations could begin to travel to other countries with symptoms of Ebola that can later develop into a confirmed cases. There is a brief section in the report addressing port surveillance, which requires medical officers to be on call and to be accessible 24 hours a day. It does not call for ongoing screenings of travellers at ports of entry. The Bahamas is tourist hub, with visitors from a number of international ports.

The Jamaican government stated that the travel ban covers “persons ordinarily resident in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as persons who have travelled to or transited through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, within 28 days of having departed from these countries.” The government claimed that the ban was a temporary measure to protect human and animal health.

Jamaican government officials added that Jamaican citizens and residents would be quarantined, in the interest of public health and national security, for 28 days after any travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This also applied to members of international organisations with a right of entry to the country.

Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan announced on Thursday that anyone coming from Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Nigeria, will be denied entry to the country. In addition, people who visited those five African countries within the past six weeks will also not be allowed entry. And citizens who visited these countries will be quarantined for 21 days on arrival.

United States president Barack Obama has come under fire for not announcing a west African travel ban to help stop the spread of Ebola to the country. Mr Obama labelled the the thought of introducing a travel ban “immature” and said a travel ban would force those affected by the disease into hiding.

Yesterday a cruise ship with a Dallas health care worker aboard who is being monitored for signs of Ebola did not receive clearance to dock in Cozumel, Mexico, a day after Belize refused to let the passenger leave the vessel to be flown back to the US.

Obama administration officials said the passenger handled a lab specimen from a Liberian man who died from Ebola at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital earlier this month. Officials said the woman poses no risk because she has shown no signs of illness for 19 days and has voluntarily self-quarantined on the cruise ship, the Carnival Magic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned there could be as many as 10,000 new cases per week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone by the end of this year.

According to the department of statistics records, the Bahamas population stands at roughly 350,000 with six million annual tourist arrivals. Viewing those numbers in relation to an already underperforming medical service and a lack of Ebola education, many have now suggested that the country is not fully prepared to handle any potential cases of the virus.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control there have been three confirmed cases of Ebola in America, which is the closest country to the Bahamas with confirmed cases. Two nurses in Texas who cared for Ebola patient Thomas Duncan, who died last week, have tested positive for the virus. Duncan entered the US from Liberia.

Comments

ThisIsOurs says...

What's been changed in accident and emergency? How many notices have you posted in the known Haitian shanty town communities?

Posted 18 October 2014, 4:05 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

....................................Worse decision of any administration to date......................................

The United States is not ready for Ebola and even now continue grappling around like headless chickens with almost daily changes to policy, procedures and protocol for Ebola.

How can anyone fathom that the Bahamas government is ready for Ebola when we get information from the CDC who themselves are in over their heads with 2 Ebola cases?

The Bahamas government doesn't exactly have a shiny record for getting things done right.

We can't even open a badly needed new wing in the hospital or deal with our present medical needs due to Haitians overwhelming the health care system.

What gives these clowns the idea that they can wait to "TINK" about if a travel ban from Ebola infected countries is good idea?

Posted 18 October 2014, 4:19 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Smart not put fear ahead Ebola. Unless you get vomited or pooped on or handle someone's bowel movement bed pan you are not going become victim of Ebola

Posted 18 October 2014, 4:31 p.m. Suggest removal

ohdrap4 says...

Really?
1. 81 people are being 'observed' in Spain after that one nurse contracted Ebola, none of them was vomited or pooped on

2. the cdc are tracking 130+ people who shared an airplane with their second ebola patient, a nurse. they were not vomited or pooped on.

3. the schools attended by 2 children who traveled on the above mentioned air plane are closed. the children were not vomited or pooped on.

4. that second nurse caught ebola through cross contamination and contact with the first one. she was not vomited or pooped on.

Viruses mutate. I think ebola has mutated and they are too afraid to let people know that it is likely airborne now.

Posted 18 October 2014, 4:52 p.m. Suggest removal

Comrade all cases you site are precautionary measures - which do not spell fear. In US one (1) patient was found be infected and died and we learn each day the Texas Hospital may have contributed to his death as result of having poorly manged his case. If you want scare hell out international community, take them on a tour of our Shanty Towns numerous across Bahamaland. Haiti is a disease infested country that should put the fear of God in our vital tourism industry. Yet, they come here illegally and take up residency in one of health disaster waiting happen Shanty Towns. They turn up at our hospitals, restaurants and work places. Did I get it right? Tell me the last time, or even the first time, the medical authorities have sent a team of doctors and nurses into one of the Shanty Towns? Comrade don't you have a statistics you can share on our Shanty Towns? Tell me Comrade, have you ever been in one those pooped and urine being piled in buckets places? They are disgusting.

Posted 18 October 2014, 7:42 p.m. Suggest removal

I'd be surprised if it's airborne. None of the people the first victim lived with for a week are ill. Only the persons who handled his waste contracted the virus. And that is my concern with the shanty towns. The prevalent use of outdoor toilets. The stray dogs and cats.the children running around in that environment. If the government had an Ebola plan, they'd have started taking care of shanty towns.

What training have you given to security personnel? How many hospitals worldwide are there where personal effects are hand checked? I wish you luck,I suppose I'd appreciate it more if public statements stuck to constant training and identified staff being trained. Who can truly know if they're 100% ready for something that's never happened...

Posted 19 October 2014, 4:28 a.m. Suggest removal

PKMShack says...

Don't pay TAL no never mind, he is just as dumb and stupid as this government.

Posted 18 October 2014, 5:17 p.m. Suggest removal

President Obama now looking for more money to fight Ebola.....We are already broke and deep in debt, where will we find money?

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-seek-more-f…

Posted 19 October 2014, 7:40 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The centers for disease control expect the Ebola cases to get up to 10,000 a week in West Africa that's 1/2 million cases a year in West Africa alone. Add the world wide infections and you can see why America has 1.5 million 'coffin liners' in storage.

Posted 19 October 2014, 11:43 a.m. Suggest removal

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas is ranked 15th among top medical care centers in the United States. Princess Margaret Hospital is ranked lower than some of the third world hospitals. Maybe Comrade Chairman Potcake Leslie could suit up those BEC workers already receiving 'hazardous pay.' Comrades if it's true that missing drugs turns out as Leader Minnis claims, is no more than some $10 million 'clerical error,''d be damn careful how I would trust them to account patients poops.

Posted 19 October 2014, 12:05 p.m. Suggest removal

pablojay says...

We must be very careful and look out for our country first as Mexico and Belize did ,because
just one case of ebola in the Bahamas and the tourist arrival figure would be lest than before
Sir Stafford Sands was minister of tourism.

Posted 19 October 2014, 1:39 p.m. Suggest removal

Comrades judging from his lackluster performance of the current minister of health on job to date I sure as hell wouldn't rush add no Ebola his plate - unless it's some ribbing cutting ceremony.

Posted 19 October 2014, 2:52 p.m. Suggest removal

afficianado says...

Hmm the center for disease control was issued a patent on the human ebola virus in 2012. A patent in the USA is Only issued if there is some Novel invention. So basically the virus was created and tested on Africans.

Posted 19 October 2014, 9:36 p.m. Suggest removal

BahamaPundit says...

This is plain crazy. Another pea-brained idea from our feathered friends in power. Let's follow America. Let's follow Obama. Let everyone come to The Bahamas. One problem -- we get one
case of Ebola here and tourism is dead, our economy is dead. The Bahamas believes it is America; this is its greatest flaw. We should follow in the steps of Trinidad and Jamaica and ban travel. Wake up Bahamians and march against this deranged plan. Close the borders now!

Posted 19 October 2014, 10:13 p.m. Suggest removal

I don't know about closing the border. An infected person from Liberia could fly to France, infect a Frenchman and the Frenchman could then fly to the Bahamas. Unless we stop **all** incoming flights closing the border seems to be "feel good", "busy work" losing battle. On the other hand if you have an effective information campaign letting people know the signs and symptoms, the chances of catching people early increases. Catching them early seems to be the most effective attack. Duncan didn't infect anybody living in close quarters in his SMALL apartment, but he infected two nurses wearing medical gloves in the last stages of his infection.

I absolutely agree with the other point, we are not America. Nowhere close. Copying their plan line for line seems ridiculous. The prevalence of Shanty towns, stray dogs and cats gives us our own unique challenges. Those challenges need to be addressed and addressed publicly. Where is the PM? Better yet, where is Dorothy? We need to hear from her on her advice to the cowardly Lion.

We do a piss poor job of communication. Do you know how many people I come across who today ask me "what is Carnival?" "When is it?" "Where will it be held?". We spending 9 million, not a soul in this country should be ignorant about the details. It's not a matter of saying I put a commercial on the radio or an add in the newspaper. It's a matter of finding out how to reach people and then employing that mode of communication.

If they're failing at Carnival, how many shantytown residents know nothing about Ebola?

Posted 20 October 2014, 7:51 a.m. Suggest removal

........................................Biggest Bahamas "readiness" joke of all............................................

"We are training doctors and nurses in N.P. and family Islands how to deal with Ebola"

How the hell are they suppose to be "training" them when they don't have even one hazmat suit in the country? Play pretend doctor maybe?

If an Ebola case is confirmed, how long will it take for Dr. Genius dem to get hazmat suits here or to a family island, and what jackass is going to care for the Ebola patient in the interim?

Gomez is "playing infectious disease specialist" with the well being of the country.

Posted 20 October 2014, 9:30 a.m. Suggest removal

NekoChan says...

Good idea. Start doing stuff AFTER you see Ebola symptoms happening. Are you serious Bahamas? IT'S A DAMNED VIRUS. One it starts, it will spread with ease, and we won't get rid of it. Then what are we gonna do? Oh, let me guess, we're gonna say, "Ebola has rights too!" just like we did with all the Haitians? This country is so stupid! It's unbelievable. It makes me want to scream and blow my brains out. NEWSFLASH - TOURISM IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY. What, are we gonna put "Pink sandy beaches, beautiful aqua waters, and deadly Ebola" in our brochures? DO YOUR PEOPLE A FAVOR AND THINK FOR ONCE BEFORE YOU KILL US ALL, GOVERNMENT!

Posted 14 February 2015, 10:09 a.m. Suggest removal