As they enter their final week of self-isolation, SHG would like to thank those 18 individuals who have shown remarkable fortitude and respect for the wider community by complying with the isolation requirements, which we accept have been very onerous. Thank you.
We recognise that following the hantavirus scare, there will be a heightened concern within the community. Most recently, we have seen an Ebola outbreak reported in the international media.
The public can rest assured that our medical and public health teams receive regular (in many cases daily) updates on related issues from across the World, however, SHG commits to updating the public if the circumstances change significantly and or the risk rises for St Helena.
The current Ebola outbreak is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with some risk to bordering nations such as Rwanda and Uganda. These are not high-volume travel destinations, nor transit routes to other mainstream destinations. There are a handful of possible cases elsewhere in the world (directly linked to DRC or Uganda) but none of these has been confirmed. These are being closely managed. As such there is no appreciable risk and it is not appropriate for us to issue regular updates. This will, of course, change if the disease spreads, for example, to South Africa (although the risk of this is currently considered low).
Travellers should always proactively check their destination(s) prior to travel. FCDO – Foreign travel advice provides a widely respected source of reliable information covering almost all global destinations. Travel Health Pro is an equally respected website dedicated to health advice.
Where situations arise which are likely to have a direct impact, then we will, of course, put out communications at the earliest opportunity.
Keeping this island safe is everyone’s responsibility, individually and collectively. Thank you for your continued support.
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