To avoid exporting cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the government yesterday implemented a new measure to take the temperatures of all out-bound passengers prior to boarding their flights.
CKS International Airport began the precautionary measures at noon and medical staff from the Center for Disease Control soon found a Thai worker with a fever, one of the symptoms of SARS.
As different thermometers can vary a little, the medical staff found the Thai's temperature to be 38.5C and 38.3C in two measurements. The staff then asked the airline to take the worker to a hospital, where a doctor found his temperature to be 37.8C.
The doctor diagnosed that the worker is not the victim of the flu-like pneumonia and provided a flight-worthiness certificate.
Health officials said that if out-bound passengers have abnormal temperatures, the airline should take care of the problem, but the Airline Operator Committee said that health officials should deal with the problem by taking suspect passengers to the hospital.
If the passengers are proved to be not flight worthy, the airline will cancel the passenger's ticket.
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