Thread: Health Precautions Taken at Hidalgo Bridge Over Ebola Fears

Health Precautions Taken at Hidalgo Bridge



10-16-2014 - 05:54:PM

KRGV

HIDALGO - Health precautions are being taken at the Hidalgo port of entry.

A viewer sent CHANNEL 5 NEWS a photo of at least eight detainees wearing surgical masks and latex gloves. The detainees do not have Ebola, officials said.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS called Customs and Border Protection and sent numerous e-mails to find out why the detainees were wearing the protective items.

CBP officials sent an ambiguous response. Officials responded to further requests for comments by saying that the response was in the statement they sent earlier.

The photo shows the detainees clustered outside what appears to be the Hidalgo border bridge.
CBP officials have said they are watching for sick travelers. Officials also confirmed that if people need to be isolated, the CDC and local health authorities will do an evaluation.
City, county and health official said they have not been called out to the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS sent the photo to CBP and requested more information.

The feds sent a statement saying "the Privacy Act precludes CBP from discussing the specifics of an individual's processing. No case or individual processed by CBP at Hidalgo-Pharr-Anzalduas Port of Entry on Oct. 13 was related to Ebola."

The agency didn't deny the authenticity of the photo, so CHANNEL 5 NEWS called for further clarification. Officials refused to speak about the issue.

There are no Ebola cases reported in the Valley. However, with heightened concern from lawmakers about a slew of viruses and our proximity to the border CHANNEL 5 NEWS is pushing for information and transparency from federal authorities about health-related matters.

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Statement from Customs and Border Protection

CBP and the CDC have closely coordinated to develop policies, procedures, and protocols to identify travelers that are known by U.S. public health officials to have a communicable disease and to handle in a manner that minimizes risk to the public that will continue being administered at all ports of entry. These procedures have been utilized collaboratively by both agencies on a number of occasions with positive results.

CBP personnel review all travelers entering the United States for general overt signs of illnesses (visual observation, questioning, and notification of CDC as appropriate) at all U.S. ports of entry, including all federal inspection services areas at U.S. airports that service international flights.

When a traveler or alien is identified with a possible communicable disease or identified from information that is received from the CDC, CBP personnel will take the appropriate safety measures by donning personal protective equipment (PPE), to include gloves and surgical masks, which are readily available for use in the course of their duties. CBP personnel receive training in illness recognition, but if they identify an individual believed to be infected, CBP will contact CDC along with local public health authorities to help with further medical evaluation. The traveler would be isolated from the traveling public while the CDC and local public health authorities conduct an evaluation.

CBP has displayed signage designed by CDC in the federal inspection services areas at U.S. airports since August. CBP has begun distributing a CDC fact sheet to travelers entering the U.S. that have traveled from or transited through the affected countries informing travelers to watch their health and what they need to do if they become ill in the future.

The Privacy Act precludes CBP from discussing the specifics of an individual's processing. No case or individual processed by CBP at Hidalgo-Pharr-Anzalduas Port of Entry on Oct. 13 was related to Ebola.

http://www.krgv.com/mobile/story.cfm?n=788413

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