THE RISK OF Ebola arriving in Ireland is very low, but the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is still telling schools and colleges how to protect against it.

In an advisory note released today, the HPSC stresses that there has been no cases in Ireland so far and the risk is minimal.

The add that is unlikely, but not impossible, that a person infected in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone or Nigeria could arrive in Ireland.

It adds:

“The affected countries are introducing exit screening at airports to ensure that individuals who are unwell do not board flights.

“This is in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance and is one of many measures to reduce the risk of international spread of disease.”

The note tells schools:

“The time between contact with the infected person and the time that first symptoms appear (incubation period) of Ebola virus disease ranges from two to 21 days.

“Any child/student arriving back in Ireland having travelled from any of the affected countries, and who are without symptoms, are not infectious and there
should be no restrictions on their childcare/school/college attendance or normal activities.”

Read: There has been a “very, very small” number of suspect Ebola cases in Ireland