As the world continues to monitor the current Ebola crisis in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the St James Health Department is reminding the public that persons who disobey established quarantine protocols can be fined up to $1 million.

Sherika Lewis, the acting chief public health inspector for St James, told last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) that several travellers who arrived at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay during the month of May were screened for Ebola and subsequently cleared after the mandatory 21-day quarantine period.

“For port health and quarantine activities, 1,044 flights arrived in the parish, 1,024 of which were processed by the port health officers, which brought a compliance rate of 98 per cent. On those flights, 156,000 passengers landed, and 115 were listed for general surveillance,” said Lewis. “The world is under alert for Ebola, and we did have some passengers that were under surveillance for it. They have subsequently served their 21 days’ quarantine period and are out of the country.