SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Fears of the coronavirus are forcing officials at the border express crossing in Otay Mesa to take extra precautions.
On Friday, all passengers on a flight from Beijing to Tijuana were screened using thermal imaging cameras.
According to the Tijuana airport director, doctors and nurses from the city of Tijuana and the State of Baja California were running the screenings for those getting off the plane.
Airport and CBX employees, passenger and staff were all seen wearing face masks. Some staff even had rubber gloves and full body suits.
Saturday, passengers said they saw no one wearing any masks, gloves or suits.
The airport director told 10News in an email that the screenings are only done to passengers arriving non-stop from China. The flights operated by Hainan Airlines fly in to Tijuana twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. According to the airport director, the airline will suspend flights to Tijuana until May 15th based on a technical decision the airline announced months ago.
A Cross Border Xpress spokesperson sent 10News a statement:
At Cross Border Xpress the safety of our passengers, guests and staff is our top priority. We are in close contact with public health officials and are cooperating with our partners from the Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) in the implementation of health and safety-related measures.
Due to planned renovations to the airport runway, only one remining direct flight from Beijing, China is scheduled to arrive at TIJ on Monday, Jan. 27th until mid-May. In accordance with best practices set forth by the World Health Organization, passengers of the arriving international flight will be screened utilizing methods such as thermal imaging cameras.
We will continue to closely monitor this situation and implement any additional measures stipulated.
The next flight from Beijing arrives in Tijuana on Monday, January 27th at 2:55 p.m. Airport officials say all passengers will be screened by thermal imaging before proceeding to an immigration booth.
