The state health department has sent out advisories to all districts on the novel coronavirus in view of Holi coming up on March 10.
“Though we have not had any confirmed cases of novel coronavirus so far but we are watchful and do not want to take any chances specially with Holi round the corner,” said principal health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni.
“We have decided to issue advisories, which are basically dos and don’ts to stop the spread of coronavirus, to all the district civil surgeons and other health units for maximum outreach.”
Holi is marked with revelry at community functions.
“We want to make people aware of the necessary steps they should take while enjoying the festival of colours to avoid getting infected with viral diseases like novel coronavirus as during this festival people tend to mix with lots of people at community functions and smear colour on each other. The advisories were sent this (Wednesday) evening to all the districts and are loosely based on WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines,” said a senior health official.
The health department has passed on the ministry directive to the Birsa Munda Airport authorities in Ranchi.
“We have informed the airport authorities in Ranchi today (Wednesday) after receiving the latest directive from Union health ministry yesterday (Tuesday) wherein passengers arriving at Ranchi airport with international travel history will have to furnish duly filled self declaration form (including personal particulars like contact numbers and address in India) and travel history,” said state epidemiologist Dr Praveen Karn.
The health official further informed that passengers, both foreign and Indian, arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan have to undergo medical screening at the airport.
“We (Ranchi) are not an international airport and passengers coming from these countries must have undergone medical screening at international airports across India, but still we do not want to take any chances and have asked the airport authorities in Ranchi to make arrangements for medical screening for those coming from these countries,” added Dr Karn.
State health minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday evening held a meeting with senior health officials including principal secretary Kulkarni in Ranchi on the novel coronavirus.
Gupta said that so far there has not been any positive case in Jharkhand but all necessary steps as per WHO guidelines have been taken in all district hospitals. So far, samples of six visitors from China — three from Jamshedpur and three from Ranchi — sent to the NIV (National Institute of Virology) in Pune have tested negative.
The minister said the health department has set up a 24-hour control room for novel coronavirus with a dedicated number — 9955837428 — while another control room has been made at RIMS in Ranchi (06512542700).
The minister said that as per list from Union home ministry so far 81 visitors have come to Jharkhand from China — Ranchi eight, Jamshedpur 21, Garhwa nine, Seraikela 16, Giridih two, West Singhbhum one, Bokaro eight, Pakur one, Godda five, Hazaribagh two, Palamau one, Jamtara one, Chatra one, Deoghar one, Latehar one and Ramgarh three — till March and all of them are under home surveillance for a period of 28 days.
“The RIMS management said four Indians who have come from China (one), Bahrain (one) and Indonesia (two) to Jharkhand have been put under surveillance at the isolation ward of the medical college while their blood samples have been sent to NIV Pune for test,” Gupta said.
The Telegraph
