"All international passengers to be screened at airports"

(Eds: Recasts, adding quotes)
Bengaluru, Mar 4 (PTI) All international passengers
arriving at the city airport will be screened for coronavirus,
from now on, Karnataka Medical education minister Dr K
Sudhakar said here on Wednesday.
"Till now we were screening international passengers
coming from Covid-19 affected nations, but from today onwards
all passengers will be screened," he told the legislative
Council on Wednesday.
The decision comes after a techie, who tested positive
for the coronavirus in Hyderabad, had travelled from the city.
Health Minister B Srirumulu had earlier in the day said
the apartment where the software engineer was staying has been
sanitised.
Later speaking to reporters, Sudhakar said the techie's
room mate was asymptomatic and he had tested negative.
"There were 25 people working with the techie, of whom one
developed a symptom, adding that all of them were quarantined.
An Iranian national, who had symptoms of Covid-19 had
tested negative, the minister added.
He said five people with suspected symptoms of Covid-19
have so far been admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of
Chest Disease (RJICD).
The government, he said, had ordered supply of masks and
medicines for the next six months to ensure there was no
shortage.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told reporters later that
there was not a single coronavirus case in the state and hence
there was no need for the people to worry
A government release said Chief Secretary T M Vijay
Bhaskar held a high-level meeting, where he discussed issues
related to establishing quarantine facilities,extending
medical facilities in government, private and defence
hospitals, connecting officers for inter-departmental
coordination for containment activities, taking military and
paramilitary support and help from medical associations and
private hospitals.
It said the Border Security Force at Yelahanka near
Bengaluru, is ready with three barracks of 100 beds each, to
extend quarantine facilities for 300 members, in case of
emergency on the directions of the union government.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare has already
chalked out a plan todeploy the required trained doctors 24x7
and the State Drug Controller has been asked to provide
necessary facial masks, hand gloves and personal protection
equipments, besides, required medicines, the statement read.
The Chief Secretary had a video conferencewith Deputy
Commissioners and District Magistrates and asked them to
earmark isolation wardsin all hospitalsand monitor places of
mass gatherings like airports, bus stations, ports, railway
stations, malls and multiplexes, which are exposed to risk and
where there is chance of local transmission ofthis 'imported
virus' when people from virus-affected countries visit such
places.
He asked them to prepare a Cluster Containment Plan to act
swiftly at short notice,to keep District Surveillance Plan and
District Disaster Teams ready to face last minute challenges.
He directed airport authorities to take a declaration from
passengers about their visits abroad, sojourn and people who
came in contact with them to help take preventive measures.
Vijay Bhaskar also directed officers to ensure ventilators
in good condition in all government Hospitals and pay
attention to scientific disposal of biomedical waste
Meanwhile, a parent appealed to people not to panic about
the coronavirus in the techie's apartment, where his son too
resides.
    "My son is from the same apartment.To update everyone,
there is absolutely nothing wrong here. It was more of panic
on social media that created this," he said in a message.
    He said the man who is in Telengana and tested
positive stayed in this building on February 21. "His roommate
was taken to hospital and has tested negative," he said.
    It is been two weeks since the incident. The virus can
survive only for 48 hours under optimal conditions, he noted.
"Everyone in this building is safe. Please educate
yourself. Refrain from spreading panic and misinformation," he
added. PTI GMS APR
APR APR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)