CHENNAI: Over 500 people who had arrived here from coronavirus-hit Asian nations are under observation in Tamil Nadu but there have been no positive cases. These people under observation include 58 Chinese nationals.
The state government has issued an advisory asking people to follow preventive measures. One of them is to “avoid travelling to coronavirus-affected China.”
The state’s health secretary Beela Rajesh said there has so far been no need to even draw samples from any of the people being screened. None of them has shown any symptoms.
Should the need arise, King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Chennai would start testing samples after obtaining clearance from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, she said.
Two isolation wards have been set up, one at the Government Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital in Chennai and another at a government hospital in suburban Tambaram.
Rajesh said good personal hygiene, such as washing one’s hands periodically everyday and cooking non-vegetarian food well would arrest the contagion.
Airports in the state are stocking hand sanitizers and taking other sterilisation measures.
Protective equipment including body suits for medical professionals have been requisitioned.
