E-Paper
All fliers from Wuhan will now be quarantined
Rupsa Chakraborty
Rupsa Chakraborty
Rupsa.chakraborty@htlive.com
MUMBAI
Passengers travelling to Maharashtra from Wuhan in China will be mandatorily quarantined and tested for the new coronavirus, nCOV, irrespective of the symptoms, and the samples would be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, according to a circular issued by the health department.
So far, travellers from China were kept under observation in isolation wards only if they developed symptoms like cough, cold and fever. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received the circular on Wednesday. “Earlier, we used to quarantine people from Wuhan only if they showed flu-like symptoms,” said state surveillance officer Pradip Awate. “Travelers from other parts of China would be kept under observation for 14 days over the phone.”
Since January 15, at least 50 people have returned to Maharashtra from China. Of these, 20 have been quarantined. In Mumbai, nine travelers were kept in isolation, but discharged later. “With early detection, they can be treated faster which increases chance of survival,” said Dr Om Shrivastav, an epidemiologist.
