CHANDIGARH: A total of 1804 passengers have been screened for Novel Coronavirus (2019 nCoV) at Amritsar and Mohali airports as well as border check posts of Atari and Dera Baba Nanak so far. It was disclosed by the Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu today in press communique.
The Minister said that no symptomatic or suspected case of nCoV has been reported out of these passengers.
He said that Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Mr. Balbir Singh said that Government of India today issued the guidelines that all the passengers coming from China after 15th January, 2020 will be screened and tested.
He said that the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab has further issued these guidelines and advisories to all the districts and fully geared up to accomplish the target.
All the passengers coming from China reported to Punjab State after 15th January, 2020 are being contacted adding that he said samples are being taken and a total of 23 samples will be sent for testing at NIV, Pune.
He divulged that a total of 33 passengers with travel history to China had reported in Punjab, out of which 2 samples of suspected patients have been tested negative and 8 passengers have completed 14 days observation period and the remaining 23 passengers are under regular observation of the Department of Health. He said that State is coordinating with NIV Pune for transportation of all the samples and till the results come these persons will be under home isolation.