21 Oct 2014

American Samoa takes steps to prepare for Ebola

9:49 pm on 21 October 2014

American Samoa is taking steps to prepare for any cases of Ebola, with procedures in place to safeguard the territory's borders

The Director of Health and Director of Homeland Security told senators today that their departments are prepared and ready to handle any cases of Ebola.

The directors presented a written plan of action, including procedures set by the Center for Disease Control on how to handle ebola cases.

The Department of Health's epidemiologist, Scott Anesi, says his job is to track any illnesses coming through the main Pacific gateways of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

"I'm actively screening all the reports out of those three countries to make sure that as soon as there is a report coming out of them that we activate our response team that is in our plan. That way when the report goes to the governor on what we are doing to the borders we already have a heads up within our Pacific realm."

The Department of Health's epidemiologist, Scott Anesi.

A medical team will operate from the main dock to inspect vessels that arrive in port.