Seafarers asked to exercise caution in wake of coronavirus outbreak

The Shipping Ministry has issued a notice in view of the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed at least 170 lives in neighbouring China, asking seafarers to exercise caution while calling at ports in infected regions.

New Delhi:In wake of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, the Shipping Ministry on Thursday issued a high alert and asked all Indian seafarers to comply with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Health Ministry's advisory.

Through a notice, the Ministry asked organisations like INSA, FOSMA, MASSA, and seafarer unions to inform their seafarers to comply with the WHO and MoHFW advisory in letter and spirit.

"All Indian ships are requested to exercise due caution while calling at ports of the regions where such infection is reported," the notice issued by the Shipping Ministry said.

The notice further informed that the outbreak of the coronavirus is reported to have spread beyond the borders of the Wuhan region of China resulting in screening procedures being commenced at the border of many countries.

Read: China coronavirus death toll rises to 170; confirmed cases soar to 7,711

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has deployed teams and set up a help desk at the Visakhapatnam airport to provide information and assistance on the virus.

As per the WHO report, Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Believed to have its origin in Wuhan province of China, Coronavirus has reportedly claimed 170 lives in China already.

As many as 21 airports across India have started screening facility for Coronavirus.

Read: 21 Indian airports screening passengers for Coronavirus