‘Enhanced screening’ for Ebola to start

‘Enhanced screening’ is to start at Heathrow, Gatwick and Eurostar terminals, for passengers arriving in the UK from areas hit by Ebola.

But it will be a basic questionnaire and possible medical assessment rather than the US-style temperature screening.

Downing Street announced last night that the tests would be put in place at UK borders for travellers from the three West African nations worst affected – Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "Further screening has been kept under review throughout this period and advice from the Chief Medical Officer today is that enhanced screening arrangements at the UK’s main ports of entry for people travelling from the affected regions – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – will offer an additional level of protection to the UK."

"Enhanced screening will initially be implemented at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar terminals and will involve assessing passengers’ recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and onward travel arrangements as well as a possible medical assessment, conducted by trained medical personnel rather than Border Force staff. Passengers will also be given advice on what to do should they develop symptoms later."

It follows reports of a suspected case involving a British man who was staying at the Hotel Super 8 in Macedonia yesterday.

The unnamed man, believed to be 57 years-old, was admitted to hospital after vomiting, having a fever and bleeding internally.  He later died.

The Government said it was ‘very unlikely’ and there were ‘high chances’ it was not an Ebola case.

But in a statement it said officials had followed World Health Organization procedure in closing the hotel in Skopje where the man was staying and placing the residents in quarantine.

His travelling companion, who is also believed to be showing symptoms, told authorities there they had travelled to Skopje directly from Britain and had not been in any country known to have Ebola outbreaks.

The Department of Transport is reported to have blocked an application by African airline Gambia Bird to restart direct flights between Sierra Leone and Gatwick from next week.

Ministers had previously ruled out introducing screening at UK airports, pointing out that government policy was in line with advice from the World Health Organization.

A statement on the Department of Health’s website also said: "Entry screening in the UK is not recommended by the World Health Organization, and there are no plans to introduce entry screening for Ebola in the UK."