COVID-19: Domestic air passengers thermal-screened at city airport from Friday; Traders, Hoteliers express solidarity for Janta Curfew on Sunday
NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MARCH 20
Thermal screening of passengers in the domestic sector following the outbreak of coronavirus commenced at the airport here on Friday, airport authorities said. One of the vital places in the city with more than 22,000 passengers visiting on an average every day, the airport authorities began the screening.
“Thermal screening of passengers arriving from foreign countries commenced early January. For those passengers in the domestic sector, it commenced on Friday,” airport sources said. Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijaya Baskar has reviewed the measures taken at railway stations, bus terminals and airports.
Late Thursday, the Minister reviewed the preparedness and the precautionery measures that were taken at the chennai Airport. The Minister also reviewed the preparedness at Chennai MG Ramachandran Central.
#CoronaInspection: Visited Chennai Central Railway Station to check the Corona Screening Activities. District Collector, Dean – MMC & other officials accompanied me for the inspection. All travellers are screened effectively. @MoHFW_INDIA #TN_Together_AgainstCorona #Vijayabaskar pic.twitter.com/YXvAAdarYE
— Dr C Vijayabaskar – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@Vijayabaskarofl) March 20, 2020
“After my inspection of the airport, it has been decided that 16,000 passengers from 160 arrivals will undergo thermal screening by staff working in three shifts,” the minister said. Reeling out statistics on the total number of screenings that have taken place in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said 1.98 lakh people were screened as on date.
A total of 4,253 patients were under follow-up, while 1,120 beds have been added to isolation wards. Meanwhile, vehicle movement would be stopped between Tamil Nadu-Kerala from Friday evening in order to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus. Though there was no case of COVID-19 reported in the district, steps were taken to prevent passenger-to-passenger spread, the district collector K Rajamani said in a release.
All the nine checkposts bordering Kerala would be closed from Friday evening till further orders, he said. The officials from Revenue, Police and Transport departments would monitor the process regularly, he said.
Majority of textile shops and jewelleries, the major employers in the region was closed, besides malls and theatres in Chennai and other major cities in Tamilnadu.
Powerloom weavers and owners have decided to stop production from Friday to April 5, responding to the call given by the government, sources said.
Tamil Nadu Traders Association and the Tamil Hotels Association extend their solidarity for the Janta Curfew called by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
