Health Ministry issues health alert cautioning against travel to Ebola-affected countries

The Health Ministry has issued a health alert cautioning against travel to Ebola-affected countries.

In a statement this morning the Health Ministry urged the public to review their travel plans and avoid travelling to or transiting through affected countries.

This follows the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.

The ministry states that although the WHO assesses the risk as high in the African region and low globally, it has further enhanced its port-of-entry health surveillance.

This means that Jamaicans or travellers to Jamaica who have no symptoms but have travelled to affected countries or transited through those areas in the last 21 days will be asked to self-quarantine under the supervision of the health department.

Persons with symptoms will be classified as suspected cases and will be isolated.

The ministry is further advising the public to ascertain health information and advice regarding the Ebola outbreak and other health conditions from official and authorised channels of communication.