Covid-19 scare: Thermal screening begins at Talapady

The Department of Health and Family Welfare began screening passengers travelling from Mangaluru towards Kerala at the checkpost set up in Talapady.

The decision to screen passengers was taken after a patient from neighbouring Kasargod, who had arrived from Dubai here recently, tested positive for Covid-19.

Doctors and paramedical staff deployed at the checkpost have been working round the clock to screen the passengers. They have been provided with two thermal screeners, gloves, mask and other safety equipment.

There were as many as nine doctors and paramedical staff at the checkpost on Wednesday.

“Male doctors and paramedical staff will be deployed at the checkpost during the night. The phone numbers of passengers returning from foreign countries are being compiled. The passengers are tested for cold, fever, throat infection and cough,” informed Dr Shashirekha who was at the checkpost screening people.

The doctors were seen screening all passengers travelling in cars, buses, drivers and cleaners of trucks, lorries using the device. An ambulance was also kept ready to shift the suspected cases to the nearest PHC at Kotekar for testing.

Thermal scanners were used to check the body temperature of people. If the body temperature is 97.3 degree celsius, it will be considered normal.

On Tuesday, three suspected cases were sent to Kotekar PHC. On testing, the samples had tested negative for coronavirus. If there are any doubtful cases, they will be referred to the District Wenlock Hospital for a throat swab test, sources added.

The authorities also began screening passengers at Mangaluru Central Railway Station. A banner to create awareness on novel coronavirus was on display at the checkpost.

The Kerala government had taken a decision to carry out screening at border areas after the number of positive cases increased in neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from March 16.

AAI to get a letter from Labour dept

Secretary of Labour department Captain P Manivannan directed officials to write a letter to Mangalore International Airport (MIA), Airport Authority of India (AAI) on precautionary steps to be taken in order to contain coronavirus.

His directions came close on the heels of Twitterati tagging their posts to Manivannan
highlighting the lack of safeguards on containing the outbreak at the airport. One, Sushmita Shetty, tweeted on providing airport workers, porters with mouth-masks. Providing hand sanitizers before entering/exiting the airport, disinfecting the trolley, sitting areas after each flight, ensuring minimum distance between passengers during the security check, immigration line, or while collecting boarding pass.

“Thermal screening should be done for all the passengers at the departure and arrivals of all domestic flights,” she stressed in her tweet tagged to the secretary.