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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 8 (EMN): Minister for Health and Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom on Saturday assured that there were no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Nagaland.
Latest update from the minister showed that 42 persons arriving in Nagaland from China and other affected countries were under surveillance. The number of people arriving from affected countries increased from 33 to 42, an addition of nine persons, within a period of four days.
On Saturday, state nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Deputy Director of Health and Family Welfare, Nyan Kikon told Eastern Mirror that the 33 individuals from the state, including children with travel history to China and affected countries, were under surveillance.
Currently, seven persons out of 42 have been kept under ‘home isolation’. They are also being monitored regularly (twice a day), as per the standard procedure, the minister informed.
“The persons under surveillance have not shown any symptoms of coronavirus and so far the state has not sent any sample for testing,” Kikon had stated earlier.
Phom was replying to the leader of opposition TR Zeliang, who had raised the matter as ‘urgent public importance’ on the second day of the fifth assembly session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly in Kohima.
No new case of the novel coronavirus has been reported in India since three samples were tested positive for the virus earlier this month. This was informed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (HFW) on Saturday.
It was found out during a review conducted by HFW secretary Preeti Sudan with officials concerned on the preparedness and current coronavirus disease situation in the country that 1449 samples have been tested for the virus and 1446 samples were found negative except for three samples from Kerala that were tested positive as of February 3.
“Universal screening for all flights from Singapore and Thailand besides Hong Kong and China is already ongoing at earmarked aero-bridges. The screening of passengers is now on in all 21 airports, International Seaports and border crossings. As of now 1636 flights and 176703 passengers were screened so far at 21 Airports,” read the update.
It stated that the ministry is extending all the possible support to the states and Union Territories to combat the virus. To spread awareness about the symptoms, precautions, preventive measures, reporting etc. of the virus, IEC activities like hoardings at the State’s borders, pamphlet distribution, announcements etc. are being undertaken and special programmes organised for leaders in the border villages, it added.