Coronavirus: 132 test negative so far; 64,098 screened at airport

The Maharashtra health department on Monday said of the 137 travellers quarantined in the state for possible coronavirus infection, 132 have tested negative so far, while more than 64,000 passengers have been screened at the airport here for the deadly pathogen. Acting on the Centre's guidelines, state officials have screened 64,098 passengers at the Mumbai international airport since January 18, days after the coronavirus (COVID- 19) outbreak was reported from the Chinese city of Wuhan in December-end, the health department said in a statement.

The state government has kept track of all 382 travellers who arrived here from the coronavirus-hit countries and territories till date, it said. Of these, 318 travellers have already completed their mandatory 14-day follow-up period, the statement said. According to the department, of the 137 people quarantined until now, only seven are under observation at isolation facilities --- four in Pune, two in Mumbai and one at Nashik. Medical reports of five travellers are awaited.

Till today (Monday), of the samples of 137 people sent by the state for analysis, 132 have been found negative (for COVID-19) as per the reports of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the statement said. Passengers arriving from 12 coronavirus affected countries/regions -- China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, Iran and

Malaysia -- are being screened at the Mumbai airport.

All travellers arriving from Wuhan city, which reported the first case of the viral infection, are being isolated and tested whether or not they show any symptoms of the disease, the department said. All travellers coming from affected countries have been asked to observe home isolation for two weeks from their date of departure from the affected country. Their health status is being followed up during this period by local health authorities on a daily basis, it said.

Those who are suspected to have contracted the deadly infection are sent to isolation facilities for treatment, the statement said. Field surveillance is also actively going on across the state in search of people coming from the coronavirus- affected areas, it said. According to the department, apart from Mumbai, Pune and Thane, travellers are also being monitored in Gadchiroli, Nanded, Buldhana, Nagpur, Wardha, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Palghar, Amaravati, Jalgaon, Chandrapur, Nashik, Solapur and Satara districts. Symptoms of COVID-19, which may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to the virus, include fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.

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