Health ministry issues advisory in view of outbreak of Novel Coronavirus

The Union Health Ministry has written to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of External Affairs and States/UTs governments to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance in view of the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus.

New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has written to Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to facilitate thermal screening at the International airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin for the airlines to follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines for managing and notifying anybody reporting illness on flights originating from China and disembarking in India.

MoCA has instructed for in-flight announcements for India bound flights.

MoHFW has also written to Ministry of External Affairs to provide details of travellers from Wuhan city who have sought a visa to travel to India, since 31st December 2019 and to counsel the applicants while issuing the visa.

They have also been requested to provide daily details. As for the E-visa issue, the Ministry of Home Affairs is being approached.

Ministry of External Affairs has also been requested to disseminate travel advisory (in local languages) to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries for wider circulation and passenger information.

Secretary (H) has also written to the States/UTs to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance, laboratory support infection prevention & control, logistics, risk communication and in particular, hospital preparedness in terms of isolation and ventilator management of critically ill patients of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI).