As if there wasn’t already enough panic over potential traffic gridlock, severe weather, and ticket price gouging when the FIFA World Cup kicks off next week, a global public health emergency has entered the mix.
Foreign travelers and soccer players from the Ebola-plagued Democratic Republic of Congo will soon be in the Bayou City, but public health experts say there’s no reason to be alarmed. People won’t be let in the country if they’ve been exposed to the virus within the past 21 days and there are currently zero confirmed cases in the United States.
In an interview with the Houston Press last week, Houston Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Tran put to rest fears that the Congo soccer team, scheduled to set up a base camp at SaberCats Stadium on Mowery Road, is already in town. The team is currently isolated in Belgium, Tran said, and will arrive in Houston on June 10 after preliminary World Cup festivities in Europe.
The Congo will play Portugal on June 17 in Houston and will remain at the base camp throughout the World Cup with intermittent travel to other U.S. cities for matches.
“They are not any more of a public health threat than you or I at this time, because they have been outside of the DRC and the area of concern of the Ebola outbreak as requested by FIFA and the United States government, ” Tran said of the Congo team. “I’m excited to invite them here.”
The part of the DRC where the team was living prior to the Ebola outbreak is about a 25-hour drive away from the infected area, or the distance between Mississippi to Maine, she added.
The Centers for Disease Control reported the risk of Ebola spreading to the United States remains low.
However, 62 people have died in the Congo and one has died in Uganda since the Ebola outbreak began earlier this year. South Sudan has not reported any active cases but travelers coming from there are being screened because it shares borders with affected countries. The outbreak was officially announced by the World Health Organization on May 15, although people were experiencing symptoms as early as January. Soccer teams from Sudan and Uganda did not qualify for the World Cup.
Ebola is a potentially deadly virus that spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissues of an infected person. It is not disseminated through the air like the flu or measles. Symptoms, including fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea, usually begin within two to 21 days of exposure.
Although Tran and other officials say they’re not worried about Ebola making its way to Houston, preventative measures are in place. Last Thursday, the Harris County Public Health Department, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and the City of Houston released a live dashboard to monitor travelers coming from Ebola-affected regions and to inform the public if there are any confirmed Ebola cases.
Houstonians and visitors can also text HOUWC26 to 888777 and emergency alerts related specifically to the World Cup, including notices of public health threats, severe weather, game cancellations and road closures. Tran said the text alerts and dashboard are an effort to be transparent.
“Its purpose is to provide timely, shared access to information and situational awareness for our community and partners, but it does not indicate that Ebola is a public health threat,” she said. “Our public health system remains vigilant and stands ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any disease threats.”
Extensive airport screenings are underway at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to ensure that travelers from affected countries are tested for the virus.
“The vast majority of individuals who are going around watching games in the United States are United States citizens and residents,” Tran said. “Those who are coming to watch the games from other countries are not going to be allowed in if they’ve been in the areas of concern within the past 21 days. I’m standing before you telling you with confidence that I’m not worried about it being a public health threat in Houston.”
Airport Screenings
IAH is one of three U.S. airports designated by the federal government for enhanced Ebola screenings. The other two are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. The restrictions went into effect on May 26.
Passengers who have recently been in Ebola-affected areas will be escorted to a dedicated screening zone, where they undergo health questionnaires, symptom checks and temperature readings facilitated by the CDC and Customs officers, according to an IAH spokesperson. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are permitted to re-enter the country if they have visited the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.
Those designated low-risk can continue to their final destinations but their contact information is entered into a federal monitoring platform so that local health departments can follow up with them for a three-week period. High-risk passengers displaying symptoms will be taken to an isolated medical room for evaluation by CDC physicians. A protocol is in place for the Houston Fire Department to transport infected passengers to a local hospital equipped for infectious disease containment, but again, that hasn’t happened yet.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo said her staff is prepared to handle monitoring if a person with Ebola symptoms who has recently visited an affected country makes it into Houston.
“I’ve made sure that Harris County Public Health has the people, has the resources to do any follow-ups, any contact tracing,” Hidalgo said in a video posted to social media. “For better or for worse, we’ve flexed that muscle before, right? During COVID.”
The judge added that Ebola is transmissible in the late stages of the disease or even post-mortem. “If there’s somebody on a flight or at a game, they’re not in the late stages of the disease, so that’s why it’s very different [from COVID].”
The heightened screening process doesn’t appear to be affecting those who are not traveling internationally or to areas unaffected by the outbreak. Jillian Holst, who visited Houston from northern California on the last weekend in May, said she saw no Ebola screening stations and there were no long wait times for check-in at either of the international airports she passed through.
And for those concerned about an increased presence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Holst said she didn’t see any federal agents in the airports either.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said immigration efforts “are not a concern for us in any capacity.” When asked by a reporter if HPD is in communication with ICE or aware of any immigration raids planned for the World Cup, Diaz responded, “No and no.”
Other Public Safety Measures
FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 through July 19 with seven matches in Houston on June 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29 and July 4. A free outdoor Fan Festival will be open in East Downtown every day a World Cup match is being played.
Officials with the City of Houston, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies held a press conference last week to address everything from drone activity to potential immigration enforcement.
Houston Emergency Management Director Brian Mason emphasized that emergency management coordinators and other officials have been getting ready for the World Cup for more than two years — Houston was awarded the bid in 2022 — and have prepared for every possible scenario.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the 39-day sporting event will bring a financial benefit to the city through hotel occupancy taxes and exposure to the world, and he’s committed to ensuring that the experience is safe for Houstonians and visitors.
“Public safety was our highest priority before FIFA, during FIFA and it will be after FIFA,” he said. “It’s much more than just law and order. It’s public health. It’s transportation. It’s collaboration with our state partners.”
Diaz said drone surveillance operations are planned but they’re not releasing any information on what they’re monitoring or where the drones will be. “We’re very prepared,” he said. “We’re over-prepared.” He declined repeatedly to release specifics, saying that is sensitive information and “I don’t want the bad guys to know what our capabilities are.”
Public Safety and Homeland Security Director Larry Satterwhite said one of the biggest challenges during a global sporting event is language barriers with guests from foreign countries. Some people are used to calling 999 or 111 for emergencies, so a new dispatch system was created so the other emergency numbers, when used within the Houston region, will be forwarded to Houston 911. The FBI’s linguistic services will be available at World Cup official venues.
“On the homeland security front, I’m happy to tell you right now we don’t have any major threats,” Satterwhite said. “You, the public, are our biggest force multiplier. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, make the call.”
Two hundred DPS troopers will be in Houston on every game day and 50 additional ambulances will be ready to respond if needed.
Heat Concerns
So the likelihood of a massive Ebola outbreak is low, but what about people dropping like flies from heat stroke at the Fan Fest or while cruising the bars in Montrose?
Tran said at last week’s press conference that she’s more concerned about heat-related illnesses than an Ebola outbreak.
“Please make sure that you’re staying hydrated,” she said. “If you’re starting to feel weak or tired, dehydrated or having cramps, get yourself somewhere with air conditioning or shade and call for help. As far as food-borne illnesses and vaccine-preventable diseases, hygiene is key. Keep washing your hands. Be considerate of your neighbors.”
The Houston Health Department recently launched heat-related alerts to keep people informed when temperatures creep into the high 90s. “When the heat index reaches 104 degrees or more, that’s when we start to see big problems in our healthcare system, with people coming in with heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion,” Tran said. “Part of that prevention is knowing when to anticipate a problem.”
Although World Cup matches will be played at the covered, air-conditioned NRG Stadium, rebranded as Houston Stadium for the next several weeks and set to be renamed again to Reliant Stadium, fans will spend plenty of time outdoors waiting in lines and visiting the Fan Fest.
Many have said they can’t afford World Cup tickets because scalpers are reselling them for up to $11,000. Because the Fan Fest is free and will display matches on big-screen TVs, that’s a suitable alternative for most fans — but it’s going to be hot.
Fan Fest organizers with the Houston Host Committee have said that there will be free water, misting stations, cooling tents, fans and shaded areas around EaDo.
Houston Host Committee Vice President of Operations John Coppins urged residents to be patient with traffic and disruptions and to help visitors who are not familiar with Houston weather.
“This is a fantastic sporting event for our community, and your experience, whether you’re local or from out of town, is first and foremost one that needs to be safe and secure,” Coppins said.
