Corona outbreak: Govt directs ports to place screening, quarantine system

The government on Friday said it has directed all 12 major ports to immediately put in place screening, detection and quarantine system for disembarking seafarers and cruise passengers as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak.

The direction comes against the backdrop of the virus -- which first emerged in Wuhan city in China's central Hubei province -- spreading to 25 countries, including India (three confirmed cases have been reported from Kerala).

The Ministry of Shipping said it has issued necessary directions to the 12 major ports to "place a screening, detection and quarantine system immediately for disembarking Seafarers or Cruise Passengers".

Directions have also been issued to ports to procure N-95 masks as well as thermal scanners to screen passengers, besides obtaining self-declaration from arriving crews/passengers, it said.

India has 12 major ports.

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus epidemic has risen to 636 with 73 new mortalities reported, mostly from the worst-affected Hubei province, while the total number of confirmed cases has crossed 31,000, Chinese health officials said on Friday.