Coronavirus outbreak: Airports start stringent screening to check spread

All thanks to several doctors on standby, the queues of fliers are manageable

The queues and tedium of airport travel just got longer, thanks to a new hygiene protocol at airports. Check-in staff observe departing passengers for sniffles, runny noses, and coughs. Coaches taking passengers to and from aircraft are washed down daily with alcohol-based cleaning agents. Infrared thermometers greet all international passengers arriving at Indian airports.

The screening of passengers from China had begun on January 17 and was later expanded to cover another 13 affected countries but with the detection of 39 cases, the government has escalated the preventive measures at all airports. Orders for universal screening were issued on Thursday