Coronavirus scare: Authorities to segregate passengers from 12 countries at airports

Passengers from 12 countries will be segregated from other passengers till the conveyer belt areas at airports, an official said on Saturday, amid rising concerns over coronavirus infections.

This is part of a series of measures initiated by the Indian authorities to curb spreading of coronavirus, against the backdrop of more than 30 people testing positive for the infection in the country.

An Airport Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson said passengers from 12 countries would be segregated at international airports.

Passengers from arriving from China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hongkong, Vietnam, Nepal and Indonesia would be segregated from other arriving passengers, he said.

According to the spokesperson,the passengers from the 12 countries would not be allowed to mix with other passengers during "health screening, immigration and conveyer belt areas".

On Saturday, Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola along with AAI Chairman Arvind Singh, DGCA chief Arun Kumar and others reviewed the status of screening activities done at airports to check for coronavirus infections.

"It was suggested that sufficient arrangements to be ensured across all intl airports.

"Universal screening of passengers, disinfecting of aircraft and airport terminal & safety of ground staff and security personnel to be ensured," AAI said in a tweet.

Currently, screening of passengers coming from all parts of the world is being carried out at 30 airports.