the goan I network
VASCO
The Goa International Airport will begin screening passengers in the wake of an outbreak of coronavirus disease which has spread rapidly within China and across several countries in the world.
While thermal screening machines to measure the body temperature of passengers will be set up in addition to health counters, the Goa airport has also been asked to ensure announcements in-flight and inside airports on all flights and airlines are being asked to distribute the self-declaration health forms to passengers.
In a letter to Rubina Ali, joint secretary at the ministry of civil aviation on Thursday, Dr PK Sen, Dy Director General at the Directorate General of Health Services, said a total of 6,065 cases and 132 deaths of novel coronavirus were reported globally as on January 29, of which 5,997 cases were reported from China and 68 confirmed cases from 15 other countries.
“In this regard, the ministry of health had started screening of passengers (from January 17) coming from China at selected airports (Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad). This screening is being undertaken through thermal scanners at the pre-immigration area, through health counters.”
Health forms
Dr Sen said it had been decided to expand the screening of passengers from seven airports to 21 airports, in view of the increasing spread of the disease inside China and other countries. “In view of increasing number of cases being reported, it is requested that announcements in-flight and inside airports may be made in all flights. Further, airlines may be requested to distribute the self-declaration health forms and segregate these passengers and bring them to these health counters at these 21 airports.”
Besides the Goa airport, the 20 other airports selected for screening of passengers are Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangaluru, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Gaya, Bagdogra, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Trivandrum, Trichy, Varanasi, Vizag and Bhubaneshwar.
