Britain Commences Ebola Screenings

       "A few passengers" had their temperatures checked and filled out a health questionnaire at Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 today.  Screenings will be extended to other terminals, Gatwick and Eurostar airport by next week.  The preventative measures are set to cost ₤ 9 million over the next six months.  Both the UK and US have introduced screening measures in response to the virus which has killed over 4,000.  Through this procedure, high risk passengers will be flagged up at border control and Public Health England will carry out the actual screening.  Although there are no direct flights from the UK to Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, 85% of arrivals to the UK through connections will enter through Heathrow.  Somarious Samura had been in Liberia filming a documentary about the outbreak was not impressed by the system.  "Most of the people just left the airport, didn't go into the screening room" he confessed.  However, he felt a sense of responsibility to go through the screening, having seen the effects of Ebola in West Africa.  

      I believe that David Cameron has the right mentality in going through with his preventative measures.  The US and the UK have both been keen in trying to implement their systems to combat and prevent the virus from entering their countries.  However, I think that there should still be more strict rules and regulations on these measures being implemented.  Samura said that fellow members of his flight origin had just left the airport without being screened, this cannot happen.  The virus spreads exponentially, therefore if one person is affected, hundreds will be immediately affected.  This is why I think the issue is as serious as I present it.  However, Britain is on the right track to preventing the disease from entering its country and many should follow.  Countries that have currently infected people include Spain, USA, Germany, Norway, France and the UK.  Those who haven't made efforts to try to prevent Ebola from infiltrating their country should before the effects become irreversible.  

 William Deo

Adapted from: 
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29616724