Declaring travel history must for incoming int’l passengers

LUCKNOW: All incoming international passengers, travelling to Lucknow, will now have to declare their travel history so that state health department and centre can promptly act in case they show any symptoms of coronavirus.

Lucknow Airport Authority of India spokesperson Sanjay Narain said all the passengers, coming from Jeddah, Dammam, Dubai, Riyadh, Muscat and Banngkok, were required to fill self-declaration forms, stating that they were healthy or inform whether they had travelled to countries like China, Korea, Iran, Italy, etc.

Doctors of health department are screening all passengers, coming from different countries at Chaudhary Charan Singh airport for corona virus. Not only this, all the records of passengers are being computerised and also being sent to Delhi so that these passengers can be tracked for next one month.

Dr Harshit Tripathi, who has been checking passengers for the last few days said, “All the passengers are exposed to thermal screening by us, we are also assisted by other medical staff. The AAI staff along with security staff is also cooperating with us, while examining passengers. A passenger with running nose on Tuesday was scanned with temperature as he was immediately rushed to Lok Badhu hospital. Now, his samples had been sent for testing.

All the staff and stall owners at Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport are using masks to protect themselves from the Coronavirus. Around 1200 passengers from places like Jeddah, Dammam, Dubai, Riyadh, Muscat and Bangkok arrive in Lucknow every day and doctors are screening these passengers in three shifts.

Dr Tripathi said, “We check temperature , we also see if a passenger is suffering from chest congestion, sneezing, coryza. There are three rooms near immigration counter where such passengers are isolated before sending them to hospital or home as per advice of doctor. These rooms are sanitised before every flight. All the airlines, carrying passengers have been advised to quarantine their plane after every shift. The directorate general of civil aviation has issued an advisory, asking airlines to disinfect aircraft every time a flight comes from an affected zone and before the boarding of passengers.

The DGCA and AAI have also asked cabin crew and operational staff at airport to wear masks and other protective gears.