Coronavirus: Govt to scan all who returned from China
India tests first positive case in Kerala
NEW DELHI: In a precautionary measure to contain the spread of novel coronavirus (ncov), the government has decided to screen all those who have come from China after January 15 as there is an incubation period for the virus.
The decision in this regard has been taken during a high-level review meeting led by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on preparedness for ncov after a positive case reported in Kerala.
While taking stock of the situation, the Cabinet Secretary stressed upon the need for 14 days’ home isolation for all those who have returned from China. It has also been advised to create awareness about avoiding China trip till the situation comes under control. However, as per sources, some of the officials expressed their views that all the passengers who had travelled to China even prior to the outbreak of the deadly disease should be tested for ncov as out of all those passengers, some of them might be the “potential carrier” of the deadly virus. The officials suggested scanning of passengers for ncov who had travelled to China in the last 2 months.
The first confirmed case of novel coronavirus has been reported in Thrissur district of Kerala. The patient is a student studying in Wuhan University, China and had recently returned to India.
In a statement, Health Ministry said, “The patient has tested positive for novel coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored.”
Meanwhile, Air India is ready to evacuate all stranded Indians from China if it gets all the necessary clearance from the Chinese and Indian governments. A flight of the national carrier is on standby at Mumbai Airport and the moment, all formalities get completed, Air India may start evacuation process from Friday onwards.
As per sources, there are some important issues that need to be fixed prior to starting evacuation process. The government has to decide as where to keep all those passengers, what kind of food to be served during the fly time, availability of masks, etc.
Augmenting the lab facilities for speedy reporting of the cases, the Health Ministry has pressed six more labs into the service. The six new labs that started operation on Thursday include NIV Bengaluru unit, Victoria Hospital campus, Bengaluru, AIIMS, New Delhi, NCDC, Delhi, Kasturba Hospital for infectious diseases, Mumbai and NIV Kerala unit.