New Delhi: As on 24th January, 20,844 passengers from 96 flights have been screened for Novel Coronovirus symptoms. Today, 4082 passengers were screened in 19 flights.
No nCoV case has been detected in the country so far. However, three persons have been put under observation.
Travel advisory has been extended to 12 more airports in addition to the current seven.
National Institute of Virology, Pune is fully geared up to test samples of nCoV. Ten other laboratories under Indian Council of Medical Research’s Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories network are also equipped to test such samples, if a need arises.
The other measures taken by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare are:
- A travel advisory was issued on 17th January and put up on Ministry’s website and also on the Twitter handle for wider circulation.
- Secretary (HFW) has written to the States/UTs to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance, laboratory support infection prevention & control, logistics, risk communication and in particular, hospital preparedness in terms of isolation and ventilator management of critically ill patients of SARI.
- Thermal screening is being done at the International airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin. MoCA has asked airlines to follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines for managing and notifying anybody reporting illness on flights originating from China and disembarking in India. MoCA has instructed for in-flight announcements for India bound flights.
- Port and Airport Health Organizations have been sensitized. The Airport Health Organizations at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochinhave put up signages at prominent locations informing the public about self-reporting of illness. Immigration officers manning the counters have been sensitized at these airports. MoHFW has written to State Governments of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka to review and strengthen preparedness measures at designated airports for provision of isolation and critical care facilities, linkages with VRDL network laboratories and adherence to infection prevention and control guidelines.
- Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme has issued advisory to all States/UTs for SARI surveillance to pick up any travel related case reported in the community and follow up contacts of suspect/confirmed cases.
- Adequate stock of Personal Protection Equipment is being maintained by Medical Stores Organization.
- Rapid response teams of the States/UTs have been trained in management of MERS-CoV outbreak (a similarly placed virus, reported from Middle East) in the year 2014. More recently these Rapid Response Teams of all States/UTs, APHO/PHOs and Regional Directors of this Ministry have also been trained (in Nov.-Dec., 2019) on management of high risk pathogens in context of Ebola virus disease outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Ministry of External Affairs disseminating travel advisory (in local languages) to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries for wider circulation and passenger information. In view of significant population of Indian students in China, MEA is providing details of such students.
- Ministry of Home Affairs to share details of travelers from China who have been issued e-Visa since 31st December, 2019.
The situation is being closely monitored by the top officials of the Ministry in close coordination with other concerned Ministries & Departments and States/UTs.
