29,607 people under observation as on March 5, Health Minister tells LS

New Delhi: A total of 29,607 people are under observation of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network for novel coronavirus as on March 5, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

He also said 654 people were brought from Wuhan in China on February 1 and 2, and kept in quarantine at Army Camp in Haryana's Manesar and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Camp at Chhawla in Delhi for 14 days.

These evacuees were tested twice and reported negative for COVID-19 and were discharged on February 17 and 18, Vardhan told the House, responding to a query raised by Rahul Gandhi along with two other MPs.

On February 27, a total of 112 people, which included 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals, were evacuated from Wuhan and kept in mandatory 14-day quarantine at the Army Camp in Manesar, the health minister said.

Besides, 124 people, which included 119 Indians and five foreign nationals, have been evacuated from Japan and kept in mandatory 14-day quarantine at the ITBP camp in Chhawla).

"All these 236 passengers have been tested and reported negative for COVID-19," Vardhan said.

He further said the government had mounted a relief assistance flight to Wuhan on February 26 with an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, which carried over 15 tonnes of medical assistance comprising masks, gloves and other emergency medical equipment for Chinese healthcare professionals.

Assistance to Iran has also been provided by sending a scientist to establish a diagnostic laboratory and test COVID 19 samples in Tehran. Further, a few samples from the Maldives have also been tested in India, he said in a written reply.

In view of the evolving situation, directions have been issued for screening all international passengers. Initially, universal screening was taken up for all passengers coming via direct flights from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Singapore.

As on March 4, a total of 6,241 flights have been screened covering 6,11,167 passengers, he said.

Specialist doctors were sent to all airports to ensure effective screening and arrangement for isolation in attached hospitals. Besides this, screening has been initiated at border crossings, he said.

Vardhan said all regular and e-visas issued to Italian, Iranian, South Korean and Japanese nationals on or before March 3 and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect.

Regular and e-visa issued to Chinese nationals on or before February 5 were suspended earlier and shall remain in force, he said.

The Union health minister said regular and e-Visas issued to all other foreign nationals who have travelled to China, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan, on or after February 1 and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect.

Elaborating on actions initiated to prevent entry of the virus and to contain its spread, the Union health minister said a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted under his chairmanship, which has held four meetings so far.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) has been geared up to track and follow up passengers coming from affected countries, he said.

The government has made arrangements for testing of samples at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and 14 other Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories (VRDLs) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in different parts of the country, Vardhan said.

Sufficient stock of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) is maintained, he added.