Coronavirus: Samples of 44 persons test negative in C'garh

Samples of 44 persons have tested negative for novel coronavirus infection in Chhattisgarh, a health department official said on Wednesday.

So far no confirmed case of coronavirus has been reported in the state, he said.

"In Chhattisgarh, a total of 47 samples have been collected and sent for testing till Wednesday, of which 44 were found negative," the official said.

"Besides, the samples of remaining three persons were rejected by the nodal lab as they were not falling under the criteria of suspect as per the guidelines of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)," he said.

The samples are being tested at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Raipur.

So far, a total of 38 persons have been kept in home isolation and under surveillance, while nine others have completed 28 days of observation, he said.

Most of these people had either recently travelled to coronavirus-affected countries or had come in contact with persons suspected to have exposed to the infection, he said.

Health advisories, alerts and signages have been displayed at the airport and railway stations, the official said.

Besides, continuous surveillance is being conducted to identify new passengers who have a travel history of China or other affected countries, he said.