NE NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, FEB 8

The Gujarat government has set up a laboratory testing facility for the novel Coronavirus in Ahmedabad for timely results and reducing the burden on such facilities in Pune and Mumbai in neighbouring Maharashtra, officials said on Saturday.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, officially called 2019-nCoV, in China has put tremendous pressure on medical infrastructure due to a large number of people returning to the country from there.

A Gujarat government release informed that a laboratory testing facility for coronavirus had been provided at BJ Medical College at Ahmedabad from Saturday.

“With this, samples of suspect cases will not have to be sent to laboratories in Pune or Mumbai for testing. This will help save time,” the release added.

The state government informed that out of sixteen samples of suspected cases sent to laboratories for testing, nine have tested negative, while results of seven others are awaited.

Three samples sent from Ahmedabad, Surat and Himatnagar hospitals have tested negative, reports of which were received on Saturday, it said.

As many as 1,044 passengers returning to Gujarat from China following the outbreak of the deadly virus were put under observation, out of which 411 have completed their 14- day observation period and are doing fine, while others are being monitored daily by district and corporation surveillance teams, it said.

“Ahmedabad airport is properly equipped and incoming patients are being screened as per guidelines. Health alert displays have been provided at Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara hospitals. Isolation wards have been set up in all medical colleges and district hospitals. Screening facilities have also been set up at ports,” it informed.