China coronavirus outbreak: Over 9,000 passengers screened in seven Indian airports
At least nine people have died in China and more than 470 cases have been reported globally.
The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 9,156 passengers were medically screened for the Wuhan coronavirus at seven airports in India, PTI reported.
The coronavirus emerged from Wuhan in Hubei province of China and has led to an outbreak. The virus has spread beyond China’s borders, raising concerns of a pandemic. At least nine people have died in China and more than 470 cases have been reported globally, CNN reported.
Passengers of 43 flights were screened in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi airports. “Till now, no cases have been detected through these screening efforts,” Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said. “We are on alert. Passengers travelling from China are being requested to report to the nearest public health facility in case they feel any symptoms.”
Sudan added that the Indian embassy in China has been providing regular updates on the status of the infected cases in Beijing.
Global health authorities fear the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of people in China are expected to travel over the course of the Lunar New Year period, both within the country and overseas.
The coronavirus is part of same family as the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome, and has spread to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States. All those infected were residents of Wuhan or recent visitors to the city.
Australia, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and Vietnam have also implemented stricter screening measures.