Assessment of New Arrivals from West Africa

Waterloo - In the course of routine monitoring of new arrivals from West Africa, as part of a federal monitoring program, Region of Waterloo Public Health have been monitoring very low risk individuals. Yesterday, two of these individuals required medical assessment for minor symptoms. As per Ministry protocol, they were referred to London Health Sciences Hospital last evening, one of a small number of hospitals designated by the Province to perform medical assessments on arrivals from West Africa.

• There is no risk to the public in Waterloo Region
• Canada has an integrated federal-provincial-local process for protecting the public from anyone with Ebola that may enter Canada. This process has been used routinely over a hundred times during the past few months. It includes monitoring, assessment, transportation and treatment protocols
• Federal government quarantine officers assess every person arriving in Canada from an Ebola-affected country. Anyone who has symptoms of illness is immediately sent to a hospital for a careful assessment
• For individuals who have no symptoms like the two individuals who recently arrived, they are referred to their local public health unit to be monitored in case they develop any symptoms. Should symptoms develop, there are provincial protocols for safely transferring individuals by emergency medical services to be assessed at certain designated testing hospitals
• As per this protocol, when these two individuals began to show minor symptoms of illness, even though they were deemed very unlikely to be Ebola symptoms, they were referred for a formal assessment at London Health Sciences Centre
• Waterloo Region Paramedic Services performed the transfer, all infection control protocols were followed, no staff or public are at risk
• Ontario's health care system continues to be prepared to respond should an individual arrive with symptoms that could suggest an infectious disease, such as Ebola. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ontario or Canada and the risk to Ontarians remains very low

According to the Region’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Liana Nolan “There is no risk to the public in Waterloo Region. It is extremely unlikely that the individuals have the Ebola Virus. This is an example of our protocols working well to protect the public.” For further information regarding Ebola: http://chd.region.waterloo.on.ca/en/healthyLivingHealthProtection/Ebola.asp

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Media Contact: Kirsten Keil-Mehlenbacher, Coordinator, Health Communications, 519-575-4400, Ext 2244, KKeil-Mehlenbacher@regionofwaterloo.ca