An Ebola virus virion. Photo: CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith.

JNS.org – Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday began implementing protocols put in place to prevent an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Jewish state.

Passengers arriving in Israel from West African countries plagued by the deadly virus are being tested for fever or any other symptoms related to Ebola. Air Sinai passengers were escorted to a hall in Terminal 1, where their temperatures were taken using infrared thermometers. All passengers were examined within 10 minutes and found to be in good health. They were then shuttled back to Terminal 3 to complete their entrance procedures into Israel.

Also on Sunday, the Israeli Health Ministry ordered the formation of two emergency treatment centers for potential Ebola patients, at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv and the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. The centers are equipped with isolation tents.

“The special isolation tents were set up at the lower level of the hospital’s underground emergency compound,” Professor Rafi Beyar, Rambam hospital’s director, told Israel Hayom. “This will allow us to ensure [Ebola] patients are indeed isolated from the other wards, and since the facility is equipped for emergencies, it has the same infrastructure as the regular hospital.”