Ebola in the UK: Heathrow Airport begins screening but passengers label it ‘a joke’

Enhanced screenings started at London Heathrow airport to screen passengers for the Ebola virus but passengers from Africa ‘could just walk through'

16:08 14 October 2014

Following the Health Secretary’s statement saying that the UK could expect to see a “handful” of Ebola cases in the country within the coming months, enhanced screening for the virus among passengers from countries at risk began at Heathrow Airport this week.

The same will be done at Gatwick Airport and Eurostar rail terminals by the end of next week. Screening at airports could also be extended to Birmingham and Manchester if the risk level increases. At this point, Jeremy Hunt confirmed that the public health risk to the UK remains low.

On Tuesday, he told MPs Britain is “among the best and most prepared countries” in the world to tackle any cases of Ebola. However, he warned: “The situation will get worse before it gets better”.

Commenting on the issue, the David Cameron said: "Not only are we doing more than almost any other country in the world to deal with this problem at source in Sierra Leone and other countries, we are also taking very vigorous steps here to make sure we keep our people safe."

However, the first round of screenings were perhaps not as robust as expected.

Clive Patterson, a filmmaker working in Liberia on an Ebola documentary, was not stopped and had to advise medical staff himself that: 'I could have walked straight through.'

Documentary filmmaker Sorious Samura echoed this statement, telling the Daily Mail: 'It was disappointing. I think in a situation like this, given the fear that is being spread, I would expect a mandatory screening.

'I was told it is up to you if you want to be screened or not.

'Having seen it first hand I think it was a bit lax here. To be honest it was a complete joke'.