The Indian Army on Friday gave details of a new 300-bed facility at Manesar, which is located on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, to quarantine Indians who will be evacuated from Wuhan on account of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Manesar, on the outskirts of Gurgaon, is about 30km away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The first Air India flight to evacuate Indians from Wuhan left Delhi on Friday afternoon and is expected to return with around 400 people by 2am on Saturday. Another Air India flight is expected to be sent to Wuhan to evacuate the remaining Indians.
Giving photographs of the facility, news agency ANI reported the 300-bed facility can house the evacuated Indians for two weeks as they are monitored by a team of doctors and other experts for any signs of infection.
According to reports, the Indian Army constructed the quarantine facility in response to emergency requirements due to the coronavirus outbreak.
ANI reported, "The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps: The first one being screening at airport followed by quarantine at Manesar... if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment."
According to reports, all personnel at the Indian Army quarantine facility would wear personal protective equipment at all times. This would consist of a mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gowns and gloves. The evacuees would have to wear a "three-layer" mask at all times. After 14 days, those persons showing no sign of coronavirus infection would be allowed to go, but their records would be sent to their respective districts for further surveillance.
The screening of the Indians arriving from Wuhan would be done by a joint team of doctors from the Armed Forces Medical Services and Airport Health Authority.
The first, and so far only, Indian diagnosed with coronavirus is a Keralite girl who was studying in Wuhan. The student is in stable condition at the Thrissur Medical College.
