New Steps Taken at Ataturk Airport to Head Off SARS

Malaysian Airlines General Manager in Istanbul Serife Didem Keremoglu said the Ministry of Health had ordered that the forms be distributed to all aircraft, noting that it was viewed as an official document. In addition to identification information, the form asks whether passengers have experienced fever, cough or shortness of breath and if the passenger or a member of his or her family has had contact with someone diagnosed with SARS. It also asks if the passenger has traveled to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, Singapore or Mongolia within the last 10 days. In addition staff at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport have started to take the temperature of all passengers arriving from Singapore and Beijing, two cities afflicted by the SARS virus.

Seyfettin Kocak / Istanbul / TURKEY