With 25 Deaths Already, Coronavirus Outbreak Gets Serious, India Screens Passengers From China

As the concerns over the deadly Coronavirus outbreak in China grows, India has started screening of passengers coming from Mainland China as a precautionary measure. As of now, passengers coming from Mainland China to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Cochin airports will be scanned at arrival.

AFP

As many as over 9,150 passengers of 43 flights have been screened for the coronavirus at airports so far. Besides screening, passengers travelling from China have also being requested to report to the nearest public health facility in case they develop any symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat.

AFP

The health and civil aviation ministries have issued a travel advisory for citizens visiting China. ¡°We are on alert and our preparedness is sturdy,¡± Health Secretary Preeti Sudan told PTI.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Beijing has set up two hotlines for its citizens who are currently in China. Indians who are currently in China or their relatives can dial +8618612083629/ +8618612083617 to seek assistance or information.

"Embassy of India has been receiving queries from Indians in Hubei province and their relatives in India in connection with Coronavirus epidemic in China. The Embassy is in touch with relevant Chinese authorities in Beijing and Wuhan and Indians in Hubei Province," the embassy said in a statement.

"We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in China, including advisories issued by the World Health Organization in this connection. The relevant Chinese authorities have assured all assistance to residents of Wuhan, including food supply," the embassy added.

AFP

Earlier India had begun efforts to bring back twenty-five students, out of which 20 are from Kerala, who were trapped in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. According to reports they will be flown to Kolkata from Kunming airport by Friday.

There are also reports that an Indian origin teacher in Shenzhen has been admitted to a local hospital with suspected Coronavirus symptoms. Preeti Maheshwari is a teacher in an international school in Shenzhen and was hospitalized with symptoms similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome.

AFP

In a related development the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has confirmed that an Indian nurse who had contracted Coronavirus is not suffering from Middle East Coronavirus and not the current deadly outbreak in Wuhan, China. On Thursday Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to EAM S Jaishankar, requesting him to communicate with Saudi Arabia to ensure proper treatment for the nurse, who is originally from Kerala.

So far around 25 people have been confirmed dead in China due to the outbreak. But the World Health Organization has stepped back from declaring it a public health emergency of international concern, saying its expert committee would meet again on Thursday to discuss more evidence from its teams on the ground.