General News of Monday, 4 August 2014

Source: GNA

Ebola: Airline operations at KIA remains normal

Operations at the Kotoka International Airport are continuing normally, in spite of measures put in place to address the threat of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Mr Charles Asare, Acting Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), told journalists that the Airport in collaboration with the Ministry of Health are making every effort to prepare the KIA to handle any suspected case of the disease.

At the company's Second Annual General Meeting in Accra, he said Management had activated its Emergency Operations Centre, and members were on alert to respond, should a case of Ebola be suspected at the Airport.

Also an area at the arrival hall has been demarcated for the screening of arriving passengers suspected to have the disease. Mr. Asare stressed, however, that operations of airlines at the Airport would continue as usual.

"No airline has been banned. We have activated the EOC and we are not going to ban any airline, for now" he stated. The disease has hit some West African countries, including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Nigeria.

Statistics indicate that the number of people killed by the virus in the current cycle has hit 729.

The World Health Organization reported 57 new deaths up to July 27 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The total number of Ebola cases now exceeds 1,300.