2009
27
Apr
Jamaica’s ports on alert against Swine Flu – Spencer
The island’s ports of entry have been put on alert for travellers arriving from Mexico, the US and Canada where human cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said yesterday.
“We have put the airport on alert and we are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism to ensure that infected persons do not enter our borders,” Spencer told the Observer.
He said he would be meeting with health officials at the ministry today to assess the situation and decide if the alert is to be heightened. The ministry is expected to issue a statement following that meeting.
The North American cases of the human Swine Flu Virus reported so far have been spread by human to human contact. Its symptoms are similar to the Influenza Virus and include high fever, aches, coughing and congestion.
The Department of Homeland Security said it would release a quarter of the 50 million units of antiviral medicine it has on reserves to the affected stage and the White House has reported that the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has begun the process of manufacturing a vaccine against the
