Health screening at PH ports even without global outbreaks—BOQ

The Department of Health’s Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said screening and monitoring continue at Philippine ports of entry even when there are no ongoing pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks being tracked worldwide.

In a radio interview on Saturday, BOQ Officer-in-Charge Dr. Roberto Salvador Jr. said regular border screening procedures are standard and mandatory for every passenger arriving in the country.

These measures include health declarations through the e-travel form and temperature checks using infrared thermal scanners manned by on-site officers at ports of entry.

He said the scanners alert officers when a passenger’s temperature exceeds 37.5°C, prompting further health screening and, if warranted, referral for medical evaluation based on the assessment.

“Ang importante talaga ay minomonitor nating maigi yung mga travellers na galing sa flight na minomonitor natin (What’s important is that we closely monitor travellers from the flights under monitoring)," he said.

"Pinapaigting natin yung pagsusuri sa kanila kung mayroon pong lagnat, at mga spotters importante din para makita natin yung tinatawag nating clinical (We intensify checks on them for fever, and our spotters are also crucial in detecting clinical signs)," he added.

He said personnel are trained to spot additional signs and symptoms, especially in cases where travellers may have failed to provide accurate information in their e-travel declarations.

Salvador said authorities have heightened on-site monitoring to quickly flag possible symptoms among arriving passengers.

“Makakasigurado po ang publiko na lahat ng pasahero na dumadating dito sa bansa ay nababantayan at namomonitor po ng BOQ,” he said.

(The public can be assured that all passengers arriving in the country are being watched and monitored by the BOQ.)

Salvador also said there are currently no travel restrictions for incoming passengers despite the Nipah virus outbreak in India.

However, he said the BOQ is closely monitoring arriving passengers who originated from India, noting that no suspicious cases have been detected so far.

“Ang BOQ 24/7 nagbabantay po sa mga pasahero para masigurado na maiwasan makapasok yung mga nakakatakot at nakakahawang sakit po,” he said.

(The BOQ keeps watch over passengers 24/7 to ensure that dangerous and contagious diseases are prevented from entering the country.)

He reminded the travelling public to observe standard health precautions such as wearing face masks when necessary, frequent handwashing, and maintaining safe distancing to reduce the risk of infection while abroad.—MCG, GMA Integrated News