Oil workers returning from countries with Ebola will be banned from going offshore for three weeks.
Health Secretary Alex Neil announced the Scottish Government has come to an agreement with the oil industry over how to limit the dangers posed by workers who have been in west Africa.
A new testing facility will be set up in a few weeks time to help identify possible cases. The Scottish Government is providing money to NHS Lothian so blood samples no longer have to be sent south for testing.
Earlier this month, Dr Devi Sridhar, a senior lecturer in global health policy at Edinburgh University, warned that Ebola will “very likely” arrive in Scotland – and that Aberdeen was one of the places most at risk.
During a parliamentary statement on Ebola yesterday, Mr Neil was asked if he was fully confident that the necessary precautions were being put in place for oil workers returning from regions affected by the virus.
North-east Conservative MSP Nanette Milne said: “Will workers returning from such countries be prohibited from going on to installations in the North Sea until it is certain that they have not been infected?”
Mr Neil replied: “We have agreed with the oil and gas sector that no worker who returns from one of these countries will go back on to an oil rig in less than 21 days of arriving in the country.
“The reason for the 21-day period is that that is, of course, the incubation period for Ebola.”
The health secretary said all oil workers must undergo a “full exit screening” before they leave any country affected. Checks are also in place at UK entry points.
Mr Neil said just two companies operating in the North Sea were also in the affected areas. Most staff are based in Nigeria, which is now Ebola free.
“Just in case, however, we are working very closely with the oil companies, particularly the two that have installations in the North Sea and west Africa, and with NHS Grampian to ensure that all the facilities are in place in Aberdeen to absolutely minimise any chance of an oil worker or indeed anyone else contracting Ebola,” he added.