by YVETTE BEST

EXTRA medical personnel and new systems have been implemented at the Grantley Adams International Airport and the Bridgetown Port in an attempt to keep the swine flu virus out of Barbados.

The stepped-up health surveillance has been put in place at ports of entry to help keep out the disease now being officially referred to as the H1N1 virus.

Corporate communications specialist at the Grantley Adams International Airport, Keith Goddard said the flight crew will communicate information about any illnesses to air traffic control and the airline's office and that

information will be relayed to port health officials prior to landing.

In case of illness among the crew or passengers, those affected will be required to wear masks and relocated to an isolated area at the back of the aircraft.

Each aircraft will be met on arrival by an environmental health officer, who gets a general declaration from the crew before passengers disembark. This declaration speaks to anyone who might be ill.

"We have placed signage in the arrivals hall as well, so that anyone who might think they have flu-like symptoms and may think they need to see the port health nurse can know what the procedures are," Goddard said.

Apart from that, he said, nurses are now surveying passengers for any signs of illness
as they proceed to the immigration area.

Minister of Health Donville Inniss told the DAILY NATION that officials held a briefing session with staff at the Bridgetown Port last week Wednesday, and similar measures to the ones at the airport had been implemented there.

Meanwhile, the ministry continued its educational sessions at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday for the uniformed forces, churches, workers in the tourism sector, education and other non-medical personnel.

Dr Ellliot Douglin and other resource people reiterated the procedures that should be observed in case of illness and if there are any confirmed cases of H1N1 virus.

In relation to churches, health officials are advising people to stay away if they are sick. As far as communion and sharing the peace are concerned, doctors said there was no need for people to stop doing either, since there is no evidence here of the new flu.

The ministry will make a presentation to leaders in the tourism sector at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre today.

People can get information on H1N1, procedures to follow at http://didseminar09.klickerzs.com and webgis@barbados.gov.bb