CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Our Correspondent, New Delhi
India yesterday issued a travel advisory for its nationals to and from China and ordered screening of international travellers from that country at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata airports in view of an infection with a novel coronavirus which has been reported from Wuhan province of China.

“As a matter of abundant precaution, the Ministry of Health has instructed screening of international travellers from China at designated airports Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata through thermal scanners,” the ministry said in a statement.

A travel advisory has also been issued to the passengers travelling to and from China on the issue, it added.

The clinical signs and symptoms of the disease are mainly fever with a few patients having difficulty in breathing, the statement said.

“The mode of transmission of the disease is unclear as of now. However, so far there is little evidence of significant human-to-human transmission,” it said.

As on January 11 this year, 41 confirmed cases have been reported so far, of which one has died. Only travel-related cases have been reported (one each) in Thailand and Japan, according to the statement.

As a matter of abundant precaution, travellers to China are advised to follow simple public health measures at all times as by observing good personal hygiene, frequent hand-washing with soap, covering mouth when coughing or sneezing, avoiding close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness, such as cough and runny nose, the health ministry said.