Coronavirus scare: 2 persons put under house quarantine in Mizoram

Two persons, who returned to Mizoram from China in early January, have been put under house quarantine in wake of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in the neighbouring country, a senior official said on Sunday.

Though they did not show any symptoms of being infected with the virus and both of them tested negative for the deadly virus, they were put under house quarantine as a precautionary measure, the Deputy Secretary of the state health department, Lalngura Tlau, told PTI.

The government has set up a screening counter at Lengpui airport and constituted a state-level task force as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in the state, Tlau said. A medical team has been deployed at the airport to screen passengers and collect samples (throat swab) from them.

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"The Centre has directed us to screen passengers who returned from China after January 14. We will check all passengers coming from outside," he said. The state government has not yet received any report of anyone being infected in the state till date, Tlau said.

He also said that the government is in close contact with Mizo students in China. "We have created a Whatsapp group for students from Mizoram for speedy information. We have been in close contact with them," he said. Meanwhile, the state government has no plans to take back the student as the matter rests with the Union External Affairs ministry, the official said.

The health department has received a report that a student, who is returning from China has already reached India, and will land at Lengpui airport on Monday. He will be screened again, the official added. Tlau also said that the state task force team and chief medical officers in all the eleven districts are ready to handle any situation.

During a high-level meeting on Thursday, state Health Minister Dr R Lalthangliana instructed the state home department to set up screening points at inter-state and internal borders. The government has set up a 25-bedded isolation ward at state Zoram Medical College (ZMC) for treating infected persons.

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