PANAMA CITY — Officials at Bay County’s major transportation hubs say they are prepared to respond if a suspected case of Ebola enters the community.
Gov. Rick Scott announced a series of Ebola-preparedness activities for the state earlier this week, after threats of the virus sent Miami Beach into a scare Sunday.
“We are glad to hear that the test for the Miami patient was indeed negative for Ebola and we are hopeful that further CDC and Department of Health analysis will back up this preliminary negative result later this week,” Scott said in a news release Monday. “While we have no confirmed cases of Ebola in Florida, we are continuing to take every step possible to best protect our citizens and our tourists.”
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Part of that preparedness has come from coordinating with port and airport leaders across the state, through governor’s office conference calls led by the Florida Department of Transportation and state health officials.
Parker McClellan, executive director at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, said the airport participated in the calls this week and is prepared to respond if a case of Ebola were to enter the community through the airport near West Bay.
“It is prudent of us to have a plan in place and be prepared in the event that someone does come from other parts of the world with a case of Ebola,” McClellan said. “This is not just isolated; it’s a national issue, a regional issue, a state issue. It affects everybody.”
McClellan said airport staff and tenants have been briefed on signs to look for and how to handle a suspected case. He said the airport has a response plan in place through coordination with local emergency officials, the health department and area hospitals.
“We have procedures and protocols in place,” McClellan said.
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Port Panama City Director Wayne Stubbs said that while he believes an Ebola case is unlikely to enter through the port, the facility is taking steps to prepare by working closely with state emergency response teams.
Stubbs said the port does not conduct any trade with West Africa, where the epidemic is severe, nor do any ships employ West African crew members.
“We are waiting to follow whatever guidelines the Coast Guard or state may develop,” Stubbs said Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s a high-risk situation here, but we certainly are prepared to follow whatever guidelines they set forth.”