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New Delhi : The third meeting of high level Group of Ministers (GOM) was held here on March 2, 2020, to review, monitor and evaluate the preparedness and measures taken for management of Novel Coronavirus (renamed by World Health Organization as COVID-19) in the country. A presentation of the status of the COVID-19 was made before the GOM. The preventive steps and measures taken for management of COVID-19 in India were presented, which included information about the various travel advisories in view of the evolving global situation. Te third meeting was held here today under the chairpersonship of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare.
Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Home, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/c), Ministry of Shipping, Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare, Members of the GOM, were present on the occasion.
Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the media persons later in the day on the evolving scenario and the GOM meeting. He informed that universal screening is being done for the travellers from 12 countries for all the flights from China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran, and Italy at the earmarked aero-bridges. He added that the passengers are being screened at 21 airports, 12 major seaports and 65 minor seaports and land crossings particularly bordering Nepal.
So far 5, 57,431 passengers have been screened at the airports, and 12,431 at the seaports. Passengers are further monitored under community surveillance through IDSP network on a daily basis. Also, 25,738 passengers are under community surveillance of the IDSP network, Dr Vardhan said. Fifteen labs are functional and 19 more will be made operational soon, he mentioned.
Reagents to test up to 25,000 samples have been made available. Total of 3,245 samples were sent for testing of which 3,217 were found negative, 5 samples were found positive, and 23 are under testing, Dr Vardhan said. Out of five positive cases, three earlier patients (in Kerala) are already discharged from the hospital while two new positive cases are found, one in New Delhi and one from Telangana, with the travel history from Italy and Dubai, respectively, according to a PIB release.
Dr Vardhan advised that Indian citizens need to avoid non-essential travel to Singapore, Republic of Korea, Iran, and Italy. People coming from Republic of Korea, Iran, and Italy or having such travel history since February 10, 2020, may be quarantined for 14 days on arrival to India. “We are monitoring the evolving global scenario. Restrictions may be further extended to other countries, as per the situation,” he added.
He further informed that 112 people including nationals from Myanmar (2), Bangladesh (22), Maldives (2), Chinese (6), South African (1), USA (1), and Madagascar (1) from Wuhan were evacuated and are kept at ITBP camp at Chhawla. The first test of all of them was found to be negative. He added that 124 people are brought back from Japan through Air India flight on February 27, 2020, morning, including 5 foreign nationals. They have also tested negative and are kept at the Army Facility at Manesar.
On the directions of PM Narendra Modi, a high level Group of Ministers (GOM)was constituted to review, monitor and evaluate the preparedness and measures taken regarding management of COVID-19 in the country. While the first meeting was held on 3rd February 3, 2020, the second meeting was held on February 13, 2020.