Passengers from Japan and South Korea will also be screened: Balbir Singh Sidhu

Chandigarh: The Health Minister Punjab Balbir Singh Sidhu said that Govt of India has added two more countries for screening of COVID-19 (Corona Virus). Earlier State was screening the passengers having travel history to China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore. Now passengers from Japan and South Korea will also be screened. The guidelines in this regard have been issued to all the districts especially Amritsar and Mohali which have International Airports.
 
The Cabinet Minister said that acting on the guidelines, Department of Health has identified 23 passengers who came from Singapore. One passenger, belonging to Jammu had fever and was immediately kept in isolation ward at Govt Medical College Amritsar. The test report of the passenger has come negative and he was discharged.
 
He informed that till date Deptt. of Health has screened approximately 22000 passengers at Amritsar and Mohali airports. Around 7500 passengers have been screened at Wagah Border and Dera Baba Nanak posts.
 
Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu also said that till date State has identified 1603 passengers with travel history or transit stay in these countries. He said that of the 39 samples were tested, 38 have reported negative. He said that one child is admitted in isolation ward of Barnala District Hospital with transit stay in Thailand. The child is healthy and fine now, the test reports of the sample sent to NCDC New Delhi is awaited. 
 
The Health further said that 947 passengers were crossed 28 days observation period and 567 persons are in home isolation and are being tracked daily by staff of health department.
 
The Cabinet Minister also divulged that  Department of Health has sufficient stock of triple layered masks and N95 masks apart from PPE (Personal Protective Equipments) which are used by health care staff while managing suspected cases of corona or other such infectious diseases. State has also procured and provided infrared thermometers (non contact thermometers) to Airport Mohali, all District Hospitals and Govt Medical Colleges so that body temperature of the suspected patients could be tested without touching.
 
He added that the situation is being closely watched and being monitored by district teams. He appealed to persons who have travelled to these 6 countries and have come to Punjab can report at 104 helpline, State and District IDSP units immediately so that teams can visit and examine the persons for any symptoms. He appreciated the hard work of teams of IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme) in doing daily surveillance for Corona./(Feb 16)