Ebola scare shuts down Hillfields NHS walk-in centre

[dutchman]

Coventry's main walk-in health centre was shut yesterday after a patient arrived with a symptom of the Ebola virus.

The man had recently returned from Nigeria - which has experienced a handful of Ebola cases - and arrived at the Hillfields centre with a fever.

After speaking to public health experts the building was shut and thoroughly cleaned before being re-opened.

The patient was taken to University Hospital, Walsgrave, where he was tested for the killer virus.

The test came back negative for Ebola this morning.

A spokesman for Clinical Commissioning Groups in Coventry and Warwickshire said: “The City of Coventry Health Centre was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure on the afternoon of Saturday, October 11, following the attendance at the centre of a patient who had recently returned from Nigeria and is now being treated at University Hospital.

“Test results have now shown that the patient is not suffering from Ebola.

“However, following advice from public health yesterday we did apply precautionary measures immediately, closed the centre for a short period, and cleaned the centre appropriately.

“The centre is now open and is operating normally."