As many as nine persons have been quarantined at the hospitals in the state for possible exposure to coronavirus and nearly 161 patients have been tested negative for it.
According to the state health department, seven have been admitted to Kasturba Hospital and one each have been admitted to hospitals in Nashik and Nanded.
Meanwhile, the State Health Minister Rajesh Tope has urged citizens not to panic and not to believe any rumours spread on social media regarding coronavirus. “We need active cooperation from the citizens to fight with the deadly virus, for there are no positive case in the state. We have also directed the cyber crime cell to file offenses against people spreading false messages on social media,” said Tope.
Till date, 66,977 travellers from 563 flights have undergone thermal screening at Mumbai International Airport, of which 454 passengers came from affected countries. Out of these, 167 patients were admitted to various hospitals and were tested twice for the virus. The laboratory reports of 161 people were found negative, while the reports of six are awaited.
At present, nine people are kept under observation. One each at hospitals in Nashik and Nanded, while seven others are at Kasturba and Hinduja hospitals in Mumbai. “The patients admitted to Hinduja Hospital have been sent to Kasturba Hospital for screening,” said a doctor.
Further, Tope informed that all travellers arriving by ships are also tested at the ports. As of today, 676 travellers arriving by 30 ships have undergone tests for coronavirus and none of them were found to be infected.
''As per the instructions of the union government, the tests of passengers coming from 12 countries at the Mumbai International Airport were done. However, now, all the travellers coming from other countries have to undergo thermal scanning. It has been made mandatory for all of them to submit an affidavit mentioning from which country they are coming and where do they intend to go. Similarly, their contact details and other information is also sought in the affidavit,'' Tope told FPJ, after replying to a discussion on this issue in the state council.
Tope informed that the quarantine facility (isolated ward) is made available at Kasturba, Rajawadi, Kurla, Bandra and Balasaheb Thackeray trauma care in Mumbai. Besides this, quarantine wards with at least 10 beds have been set up at district hospitals across the state.
With inputs by Swapnil Mishra.
