Coronavirus: Govt directs 12 major ports to put in place screening, quarantine system

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Coronavirus: Govt directs 12 major ports to put in place screening, quarantine system
New Delhi, Feb 7 () 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).

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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. NAM ABM
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