Coronavirus: 3 test negative in Maha, reports of 13 awaited

Three of the total 16 persons

currently kept in isolation wards in parts of Maharashtra have tested negative for novel coronavirus, while test reports of thirteen others are awaited, the state health department said on Thursday.

Of the 16 persons, 12 are in Mumbai, three in Nashik and one at Nanded. They were quarantined as they had fever, cold and cough, it said.

Three of them have tested negative for the infection, but they continue to be kept in the isolation wards, while test reports of 13 others are expected soon, the department said.

Since January 18 this year, total 187 people have been quarantined in Maharashtra, of whom 174 have tested negative for the infection as per the reports of Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV).

 

So far, 69,502 travellers from 12 coronavirus-affected countries, have been screened at Mumbai international airport as per the guidelines of the union government, it said.

"Screening will also be started at Pune and Nagpur airports now," the release said.

The department's field surveillance found that a total 474 people arrived in the state from coronavirus-affected areas and 295 of these people have completed 14 days long follow-up, it added.

Rubbishing reports about some persons getting infected by coronavirus in Lonavala and Solapur, the health department appealed to the people not to believe in rumours.

Meanwhile, state Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta on Thursday conducted district-wise review of preparations to tackle the coronavirus threat. He held a meeting with all the district collectors and regional collectors through video conferencing.

"The government machinery should not get scared of coronavirus, but necessary precautions should be taken," he said during the meeting.

He said people should stay away from attending social programmes.

Presently, passengers arriving from 12 coronavirus- affected countries/regions- China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, Iran and Malaysia- are being screened at the Mumbai airport.

All travellers from the Wuhan city of China are being isolated and tested, irrespective of whether they show any symptoms for coronavirus infection are not, the department said.

All travellers coming from other affected countries have been asked to observe home isolation for two weeks from their date of departure from the affected country. They are being followed during this period by local health authority daily for health status, it added.

Those who are suspected to have contracted the deadly infection are sent to isolation facilities for treatment.

Field surveillance is also actively going on all across the state in search of people coming from the coronavirus-affected areas, the department said.

Apart from Mumbai, Pune and Thane, passengers are also being monitored in Gadchiroli, Nanded, Buldhana, Nagpur, Wardha, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Amaravati, Palghar, Jalgaon, Chandrapur, Nashik, Solapur and Satara districts, it said.