No quarantine at Piarco for SARS

A report was circulating last week that travellers from Canada were being stopped at Piarco Airport and quarantined as a precaution against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), but this was dismissed by the Airports Authority yesterday.

Deputy General Manager, Airport Operations Eric Pierre said no passenger has been quarantined by the AA.  However, he said aircraft will be quarantined if there is any passenger showing symptoms of the disease. He said the Country Medical Officer of Health (St George West) Dr Kumar met with officials of the Airports Authority on April 3 about SARS. Outlining the procedure which will be followed, he said flight crews will make contact with the AA’s Port Health  personnel, who have contact numbers for  doctors. Pierre said arrangements are in place for the Emergency Health Service to transport people to the hospital. “No one will get off the plane until the medical people arrange the relevant transport.” 

The Ministry of Health will provide AA with cards which will be distributed to passengers from countries with SARS outbreaks. They will be required to provide information on their flight number and date of arrival. “People will sign them prior to reaching Immigration and in the event someone has symptoms we will be able to contact other flight passengers.” Meanwhile local airline BWIA is on the lookout for any SARS cases as it was detected on some of its flight routes —Toronto, New York and Miami.

Staff on flights will be vigilant for anyone showing symptoms of the disease. They have been equipped with masks and gloves to use and to provide persons who may have SARS. Corporate Communications Manager of BWIA Clint Williams said the airline has been in contact with the World Health Organisation and International AirTransport Association about “acceptable standards” in the airline’s response to the disease. He said in Toronto there is a large Asian presence and also significant business travel through Asia. This is one port on which the airline is being “particularly careful.”