| Swine flu protection stepped up |
| Thursday, 07 May 2009 15:39 |
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ABU DHABI // Efforts to protect the country against an outbreak of swine flu were stepped up yesterday after an emergency meeting
of the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) in the capital. A committee representing 12 ministries and authorities met to discuss border controls and stocks of medication and evaluate the likelihood of the virus entering the UAE. The committee also briefed Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, the NCEMA chairman, on the precautions being taken. “An event like this is new for our country. We have had practice test runs, but this is a real-time drill, a real emergency that we have to deal with,” said the authority’s managing director, Mohammed al Romaithy. The crisis committee established that the UAE had enough stocks of Tamilflu, an anti-influenza drug, to treat 17 per cent of the population, seven per cent above international standards, Mr al Romaithy said. He pointed out that the committee, which included officials from the Ministry of Health and all municipalities, was monitoring the situation 24 hours a day and closely following the international picture. He also said the UAE had signed up to receive a vaccine if one became available. The total of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus is now more than 1,000 in 21 countries. The World Health Organisation has rejected the idea of border closures and travel restrictions to fight the outbreak. Airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah have installed thermal scanners to try to identify people with high fevers as they enter the country. The Abu Dhabi military has placed two more thermal scanners, one in Al Ain International Airport and another on the border with Saudi Arabia at Al Guweifat, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) said. “The skies are open,” Mr al Romaithy said. “People travel from everywhere to everywhere and that means there is a lot of people coming into the country, whether transiting or for tourism or residence. We have to take precautions because they come from different parts of the world and until now we know that 21 countries are affected.” The ban on pork imports was lifted yesterday across all Emirates. A spokeswoman for Spinneys confirmed all its supermarkets in the capital and Dubai were selling the meat after the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority lifted the ban. Albert Abela supermarkets in the capital has also reopened its pork rooms after a visit from a municipality inspector. In a statement issued yesterday, HAAD said it would distribute posters and brochures in various languages to keep the public informed. It has also issued health screening forms for all airlines flying into Abu Dhabi to distribute to passengers. The forms include questions about any recent trips to Mexico, the US, Canada or Spain – the countries with the highest numbers of confirmed cases. The authority has also organised workshops for all healthcare professionals in the emirate, starting next Monday. Ajman Medical Zone has held similar workshops. Yesterday the UAE Embassy in Washington advised all UAE citizens to avoid congested places and stay in contact with the embassy until the potential pandemic was over. |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 05:42 |
