Bali airport installs thermal scanners to detect super flu cases

BADUNG - Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport has installed thermal scanners to prevent passengers suspected of being infected with Super Flu, also known as influenza A H3N2 subclade K, from entering, reported ANTARA news agency.

The General Manager of the airport, Nugroho Jati, on Monday, said that the thermal scanners used are the same equipment installed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The reuse is based on similar symptom patterns, allowing airport authorities to immediately isolate passengers with fevers for treatment.

"Since I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport is an international entry point with a significant number of passengers, I believe the symptoms we've studied and obtained are more or less similar to those of people with the flu, so detection is more visible when the body temperature is high," Jati remarked.

He confirmed that approximately 25 scanners are functioning normally at the main arrival and departure routes for international and domestic flights.

"They have been installed, everything is operating well, and the Ministry of Health will provide further information regarding developments and follow-up measures," he continued.

Currently, no cases of Super Flu have been detected among passengers at the airport, which serves an average of 66,000 passengers daily.

However, Jati assured that his office is continuing preventative measures, including temperature screenings for all passengers, and has personnel and medical staff on standby if needed.

"For now, we are coordinating with the Indonesian Quarantine Agency and the Indonesian Port Health Office. The current status is still low, and we must remain vigilant. No special protocols have been implemented," he stated.

Data from the Health Ministry shows that by the end of December 2025, there were 62 cases of Super Flu recorded across eight provinces, with the largest number in East Java, South Kalimantan, and West Java. - BERNAMA-ANTARA