Health officials dismiss Ebola reports as eight travellers are monitored

Jamaica’s health ministry says the country has not recorded any Ebola case, responding to online claims that people in Westmoreland may have contracted the virus.

In a statement today, the ministry said its border health checks for travellers arriving from countries where Ebola is present have led to some people being placed in quarantine. Officials said those travellers are showing no signs of illness.

The ministry said anyone who visited or passed through an Ebola-affected country within the previous 21 days will be quarantined when they arrive in Jamaica, as health personnel at the island’s entry points increase screening.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie said eight passengers, who arrived on different flights, had travel histories connected to affected countries. She said they were counselled by the airport health desk, ordered into self-quarantine and are being followed by the relevant health departments.

None of the eight has shown symptoms linked to Ebola, the ministry said, making transmission unlikely and meaning other passengers on the flights are not considered at risk.

The ministry also urged the public, including social media users, bloggers and vloggers, to check information before sharing it and to stop spreading false claims about Ebola that could create unnecessary alarm.