42 being monitored in Nagaland for coronavirus

Altogether 42 persons arriving in Nagaland from China and other countries, affected by the outbreak of novel coronavirus, are being monitored while seven of them have been kept in isolation at their homes, state health minister Pangnyu Phom said on Saturday.

Allaying concern raised by opposition leader T R Zeliang in the Assembly, the minister said no confirmed case of coronavirus infection has been found in Nagaland so far. "Altogether 42 persons are being monitored twice a day as per standard protocol and review meetings are held regularly," he said.

The minister said a public health emergency operations centre has been operationalised since January 28 and the daily monitoring reports are being dispatched to the health and family welfare ministry. District surveillance units and rapid response teams are on high alert, he said.

Zeliang also urged the health minister to take all preventive measures as Nagaland is "vulnerable to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus". "We are easily accessible to China through Myanmar and clothes and edible items are imported from the neighbouring country," he said.

The leader of opposition suggested screening of passengers entering the state through roads via Myanmar and Manipur from China. The minister, however, said the screening of passengers arriving at Dimapur airport is being done regularly since January 30.

"A total of 25 isolation beds in public hospitals has been identified and kept ready for suspected cases. The department has been working in close coordination with private hospitals in the state," Phom said. Zeliang also said people fear that the virus could be transmitted through the bulk of clothes being imported from China. The minister, however, said the virus cannot be spread through packages of clothes and parcels from China.