More precautions needed on swine flu

As widely expected, the World Health Organisation has dec-lared that pandemic status of swine flu has been reached.

Pharmaceutical companies have not yet produced an anti-flu drug that combats the spreading flu.

I have said before, and will do so again, that although our health authorities have made it known that they have stocked known anti-flu tablets or injections to serve 50 per cent of the population, in their obvious attempts at avoiding panic, they seem to be too relaxed, almost complacent, in the face of this mounting world problem.

We are already past the threshold of our summer tourist season and soon we will be flooded with people coming from all sorts of countries where flu cases and deaths caused by swine flu have been registered.

Precautions to protect the Maltese before tourists arrive should be taken immediately.

Months ago Japan set up flu checkpoints at airports, testing each arrival for fever symptoms, a quick five-second test.

Malta should set up similar flu checkpoints at every airport boarding gate, in all countries from which airlines fly to Malta, to ensure that anyone showing flu symptoms will be stopped before boarding.

Any precautions taken after tourists arrive will be futile.