Manila, Jan. 31 -- The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said border surveillance and screening protocols are well in place in the Philippines even without the threat of the Nipah virus (NiV).

The DOH said all ports and gateways nationwide have designated Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) sub-stations, where infrared thermal scanners are positioned in every arrival concourse.

In these stations, two BOQ nurses are stationed to monitor the temperature of passengers arriving from overseas.

"The scanner will alarm if the temperature of the person it reads is higher than 37.5. There are also spotters assigned to manually observe passengers for wounds or rashes," the DOH said in a statement.

If a passenger needs to be referred to a hospital, ...