WITH the discovery of one Ebola virus case in the United States, health minister Dr Fenton Ferguson is again warning members of the entertainment fraternity to stay away from the affected countries.

“If it is not essential travel, then just don’t go!” Ferguson said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“I know there are many entertainers who say it is a matter of income or they are tied to a contract. But we simply can’t put a country at risk for personal gain,” he continued.

There are no Ebola cases in Jamaica.

In recent times, several entertainers have made the trek to Africa. Reggae singer Luciano is slated to perform in Malawi on October 19. According to Malawi Nyasa Times newspaper, he has other African gigs in October but it did not state where. Singers Chris Martin and Alaine also went in ‘the Motherland’.

The health minister said plans to effectively deal with the threat of the virus will be discussed at Cabinet level come Monday, and as such he was not in a position to divulge the details of government’s plans at this time.

Ferguson was, however, able to share that the Ministry of National Security, through the immigration department, will become more vigilant, monitoring the travel history of persons coming into the country.

“The decision on how persons who, based on their travel history, will be treated is to be discussed at Cabinet. We have already set up an area at the Norman Manley International Airport for screening, and an isolation area at one of the country’s public hospitals,” he said.

The affected countries in West Africa include Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

On Tuesday, the United States confirmed its first case in Texas. The disease, according to the World Health Organisation, has killed more than 3,000 people.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood, and other bodily fluids such as stool, saliva, urine and semen of infected persons.

In August, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, issued an advisory to entertainers and other Jamaicans travelling to sections of West Africa.

Meanwhile, Ferguson said there are no plans to restrict public gatherings, such as concerts and stage shows, in light of the outbreak of chikungunya.

“We are still not at a critical stage. At this point, there is no need to take such action. But the action to combat chik-v is a work in progress, and if we have to, we will take tough decisions,” the minister indicated.