Canada has introduced enhanced Ebola screening at airports for travellers returning from areas affected by a deadly outbreak in Africa, while federal health officials confirmed that a person tested in Ontario does not have the virus. According to Global News, Canada’s top doctor, Dr. Joss Reimer, said the country’s current risk remains low, but additional measures have been activated as a precaution.
Speaking during a virtual press conference, Reimer said the Ontario individual had reported symptoms that could have matched several illnesses after returning from Ethiopia. Both the initial test in Ontario and confirmatory testing at the National Microbiology Laboratory came back negative, which officials described as a sign that Canada’s health response system is working quickly when potential cases are identified.
Reimer also addressed a separate case involving a passenger of concern on a flight that was redirected to Montreal. She said Public Health Agency of Canada quarantine officers assessed the traveller and determined that the person was asymptomatic for Ebola. That individual has since returned to their original point of departure.
The enhanced screening measures have been in place at Canadian airport inspection kiosks since Wednesday. Travellers are being asked additional questions, including whether they have recently visited the Democratic Republic of Congo or neighbouring Uganda within 21 days of arriving in Canada. They are also being asked to self identify if they have symptoms or if they have been in contact with someone confirmed to have Ebola.
Reimer said Canada has deployed additional quarantine and screening teams at major ports of entry, along with public information signage. While she did not recommend a travel ban, she said any decision on travel restrictions would be made by cabinet. She added that officials must consider whether such bans are effective and whether there is evidence the outbreak is spreading beyond its current area.
According to Global News, Reimer emphasized that Ebola does not spread the same way as respiratory viruses such as COVID, influenza or measles. She said Ebola usually requires much closer and more prolonged contact with someone who is symptomatic, meaning Canada’s response must be different from the measures used during respiratory virus outbreaks.
The World Health Organization has warned that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is spreading rapidly and poses a very high national risk. The United States has already imposed an entry ban on foreign travellers who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days.
Reimer also provided an update on hantavirus after several Canadians returned from a cruise ship linked to a deadly outbreak. She said no additional Canadian cases have been identified beyond one confirmed case in British Columbia, where the patient is recovering in hospital. Health officials continue to monitor high risk family contacts, while Reimer said the overall risk to the Canadian public remains low.
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