Seven airports to screen passengers arriving from China for Coronavirus
21 Jan 2020
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The civil aviation ministry has directed all major airports in the country to arrange all logistics support and arrangements on an emergency basis for screening of passengers arriving in India from China, including Hong Kong, for Coronavirus.
The ministry has now identified airports at Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata identified earlier, for setting up screening arrangements.
These airports will carry out thermal screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong expanded to Seven airports now,
Passengers arriving from China and Hong Kong will have to fill up ‘Self Reporting Form’ before disembarkation.
The ministry’s advisory has directed strict implementation of the screening process at the seven identified airports on ‘Novel Corona Virus Disease.’
This is in continuation to the advisory from the health ministry and the National Centre for Disease Control, Directorate General of Health Services, under ministry of health and family welfare regarding threat of ‘Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) in Wuhan, Hubei province of China.
MoCA has called for immediate implementation of the action plan and strict adherence by identified airports and all concerned airlines. The action plan among others includes in-flight announcements by airlines directly coming from any airport in China, including Hong Kong, requesting passengers with history of fever and cough and history of travel to Wuhan City in last 14 days to self-declare at port of arrival or to state health authorities.
Airlines staff will guide passengers in filling up the self-reporting forms before disembarkation so that the filled up format can be checked by APHO staff on arrival.
Airport signage to be displayed boldly at the strategic locations of these seven identified airports
For thermal screening of passengers, provision of space at the pre-immigration area with logistics to install the thermal cameras to be made at these airports. Airlines staff should direct passengers to the health counters before the immigration check.
Authorities should follow operational procedures recommended by International Air Transport Association (IATA) with regard to managing suspected communicable disease on board an aircraft.
All passengers and crew who are otherwise healthy should be allowed to continue their onward journey. If the ill passenger or crew member is confirmed as a probable case of Wuhan Corona Virus, public health authorities should be notified about the contacts using the Passenger Locator Form.
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