Coronavirus: Agra hotels told to report arrival of visitors from Italy, Iran, China

Lucknow: Hotels and the authorities at tourist sites in Agra have been told to inform the office of the chief medical officer as soon as visitors from Italy, Iran or China arrive, so that they can be screened for coronavirus infection, an official said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile in Lucknow, samples of an Uttar Pradesh residents who had returned from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning have been sent for testing. He will be quarantined for 14 days in the hospital.

The instructions came a day after an Italian tourist was tested positive for coronavirus in Jaipur.

The 69-year-old man was part of a group of 20 tourists, who were in Agra on Sunday.

As soon as any information is received, a team of doctors will be dispatched to examine the visitors for symptoms of COVID-19, Agra Chief Medical Officer Dr Mukesh Vats told PTI.

“We have issued instructions to all hotels in the city that if any person is coming from Italy, Iran or China, they should inform us,” he said, adding that a team of doctors will be dispatched to examine the visitor.

He said the authorities at all tourist sites in Agra have been told to “inform the 24-hour control room about visitors from the countries where the coronavirus outbreak has been reported”.

Asked whether any visitor in Agra has shown symptoms of coronavirus, Vats said, “The group of 19 tourists who had come from Jaipur was staying in Crystal Sarovar, and had arrived day before yesterday (Sunday) at 2 pm. Next morning (Monday) around 8 am, they left for Delhi.”

“After this, another batch of 18-19 tourists was staying at the Taj Convention Hotel. They have been tested and have not been found symptomatic. The history of the tourists was scanned and symptoms searched. All of them are normal. The second batch was tested on Monday in the afternoon,” Vats said.

Meanwhile, Lucknow Chief Medical Officer Dr Narendra Agarwal said, “A person was screened for coronavirus at the Lok Bandhu Hospital here. He came from Saudi Arabia in the morning. He was ill in Saudi Arabia since February 18 and had complained of cough and was facing difficulties in breathing.”

“He will be quarantined for 14 days in the hospital. The person is a resident of UP. Blood sample, serum and phlegm have been collected and sent for testing. Prima facie, it does not seem to be a case of coronavirus but we have sent the samples for testing as a precautionary measure,” he added.
The CMO said there is no need to panic.

The Uttar Pradesh government had on January 27 directed officials to set up 10-bed isolation wards in every district hospital and medical college as a precautionary measure to deal with any suspected case of coronavirus.

The directive came during a review meeting of the Health Department chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The CM directed that special vigil be maintained at airports and on the Indo-Nepal border. He further instructed Health Department officials to take necessary steps in coordination with the Union Health Ministry.

Directions were also issued to spread awareness about the virus and precautionary steps.