After 41 cases of Coronavirus in China, India's Health Ministry takes preventive actions

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Bejing: An outbreak of novel coronavirus has spread to more Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing and Shanghai, 41 cases of Novel Coronavirus have been reported so far as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). Keeping the increasing rates of coronavirus cases in concern Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India has initiated various measures, as a matter of abundant precaution.

The MoHFW has written to Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to facilitate thermal screening at the International airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin for the 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.

MoHFW has also written to Ministry of External Affairs to provide details of travellers from Wuhan city who have sought a visa to travel to India, since December 31, 2019, and to counsel the applicants while issuing visa. They have also been requested to provide daily details of the passengers. For E-visa issue Ministry of Home Affairs is also being approached.

Ministry of External Affairs has also been requested to disseminate travel advisory (in local languages) to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries for wider circulation and passenger information.

The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) under the Chairmanship of DGHS has met twice (on January 8 and January 15) to assess the risk and review the preparedness and response mechanisms to manage any case that might get imported to India. 

WHO, being represented in the JMG is providing Ministry with regular updates and technical information. However, as per WHO risk assessment, the risk for the global spread of coronavirus remains low.

A travel advisory has been issued and put up on the Ministry’s website and also on the Twitter handle for wider circulation. The Airport Health Organizations at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have put up signages at prominent locations informing the public about self-reporting of illness. The hospitals attached to these airports have been reviewed for the provision of isolation and critical care facilities. Immigration officers manning the counters have been sensitized at these airports.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme has issued an 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.

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.

Adequate stock of Personal Protection Equipment is being maintained by the Medical Stores Organization. Rapid response teams of the States/UTs have been trained in the management of MERS-CoV outbreak. Recently, the teams were also trained  on management of high-risk pathogens in the context of Ebola virus disease

As of today, there are no cases detected on community surveillance or contact tracing.