COVID-19: International passengers in Chennai to be quarantined

Compulsory quarantine of international passengers in view of the coronavirus pandemic will begin tonight (March 18) at the Chennai international airport, a top doctor at the airport told The Federal.

Dr Poovannan Ganapathy, duty doctor, (Air India) at the Chennai International Airport, in a live discussion with The Federal, said that the coronavirus battle is being scaled up with the quarantining of all international passengers at the airport.

Passengers will be taken from the airport tarmac directly to accommodations, where they will be quarantined, first for a period of 24 hours, Dr Ganapathy said. Later, upon diagnosis of COVID-19 symptoms, their quarantine could be extended and would be decided by the medical authorities.

The accommodations have been arranged in Puzhal, Poonamallee and Tambaram Sanatorium areas of Chennai.

More preparations are being done by airport authorities to prevent the spread of the virus.

Earlier, passengers with mild symptoms were advised to take medicines and self-isolate themselves, Dr Ganapathy said.

“But now, we have come to a stage where all international passengers from most of the countries will be quarantined. It is going to start from tonight,” he said.

He also said that crew of aircraft have been self-quarantined as and when they landed in the country.

Tamil Nadu reported the second case of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, in a tweet, confirmed this and said the patient hailed from Delhi. He has been discharged after treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. He will be on home quarantine for two weeks.

#Coronaupdate: #RGGH, Chennai reports the 2nd positive case for #Covid19. The Pt hails from Delhi, is in isolation & stable is under the observation of the expert team treating #Covid19. #TNHealth @MoHFW_INDIA #Vijayabaskar

— Dr C Vijayabaskar (@Vijayabaskarofl) March 18, 2020