Over 29,700 passengers from 137 flights were screened for novel coronavirus infection at seven identified airports in the country till January 26 but no positive case was detected, the Union Health Ministry said.
"Total of 29,707 passengers from 137 flights screened. 4,359 passengers of 22 flights screened today. No case of #coronarvirus found till date," the ministry tweeted.
Over 100 people have been kept under observation in Kerala and Maharashtra following screening for a possible exposure to novel coronavirus (nCov) as the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday reviewed India's preparedness to deal with any situation amid mounting global concern over rising cases in China.
"In response to confirmed case of #nCoV2019 in #Nepal, India has stepped up vigil in districts bordering Nepal. Health Teams deployed at BOP with Nepal at Jhulaghat and Jauljibi, Dist Pithoragarh, #Uttarakhand," another tweet by the Ministry said.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on January 25 said samples of seven passengers have been sent to the ICMR-NIV laboratory in Pune.
One person each from Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Malappuram and three from Ernakulam are in isolation wards of various health centres in Kerala.
The Union Health Minister has directed multidisciplinary central teams to go to the designated airports in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi where thermal screening is being done.
Vardhan, who held a review meeting to analyse the preparedness for prevention and management of nCoV in India, also spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and assured him of all support for screening at the border with Nepal.
Vardhan has urged the passengers who have a travel history to China since January 1, 2020, to report to their nearest health facility if they experience any symptoms such as fever, cough, respiratory distress, etc.
On January 25, the Union Health Ministry also issued a fresh advisory asking the passengers to follow certain dos and don'ts if they are in China or travelling or returning from China.
