Over a million screened for Coronavirus at airports, checkposts in UP

Till date, 3,014 travellers from corona-affected countries had been identified and tracked by district surveillance units, all are under watch

Following the coronavirus outbreak in 88 countries, more than a million travellers have so far been screened at the airports and at the Indo-Nepal border checkposts in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the UP directorate of health services, some 1.09 million travellers had been screened at the state border checkposts, while more than 12,000 travellers had been screened at the airports for coronavirus.


Till date, 3,014 travellers from corona-affected countries had been identified and tracked by the different district surveillance units, and all had been placed under watch.

Meanwhile, 657 travellers have been placed under home isolation, of which six symptomatic cases have been admitted at various hospitals in UP and Delhi. Their condition is stated to be stable.

Eight coronavirus samples had so far been tested positive in UP, while the result of 93 samples was awaited by health authorities.

The 330 contacts of the positive cases at Delhi, Ghaziabad and Agra were also reported to be in good health. Besides, 1,796 travellers had already completed their 28 days of observation after returning from China.

The state government had cross-notified 552 travelers to other states, and details of 26 travelers had been shared with central government agencies for international cross-notification.

The most recent positive case was reported from Agra, following which the state health department deployed a team of 40 officials to manage the coronavirus situation in the Taj City.

At the same time, infrared thermometers had been provided to medical teams at Taj Mahal, with a sensitisation drive at Agra covering houses in an area of 3 km radius around the Master Plan Road already underway involving 314 teams.

The Adityanath government had already ordered the reservation of 820 isolation beds across UP for travellers returning from China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. All medical colleges have been asked to be in a state of readiness, and stock up for adequate infection prevention logistics for travellers and hospital staff.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the menace an epidemic affecting 88 countries.

Meanwhile, the health department has conducted sensitisation meetings at 1,859 villages in the border districts. Seven UP districts lie adjacent to the 580-km Nepal border, namely, Maharajganj, Sidharthanagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur, and Pilibhit.

The Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel manning the international border have been wearing surgical masks as a precautionary step while checking people coming in from Nepal. The state health department has deployed its teams in the respective districts.

Besides, the health department has deployed separate rapid response teams. According to the state communicable disease directorate, special health department teams are staying put at 19 checkposts along the Indo-Nepal border.