Looking for COVID-19 cases: Authorities to screen passengers at stations, highways & bus stands

The measure is meant to ensure that those with travel history to the 11 worst-affected countries, who enter the city via road or train, are not missed out in the screening process.

Explained: Coronavirus testing in India, elsewhere

Workers clean a train at the railway yard amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Express Photo)

Intensifying its efforts to check the spread of coronvirus (COVID-19) infection in the city, the Pune district administration has decided to conduct screenings at railway stations, express highways, national highways and state transport bus stands. The measure is meant to ensure that those with travel history to the 11 worst-affected countries, who enter the city via road or train, are not missed out in the screening process.

“We will be getting 50 thermal scanners to screen citizens entering the city limits. Teams will be set up at entry points, including railway stations, highways and state transport bus stands. Those with travel history will be screened by the teams and then referred to the hospital based on the screening report,” said Deepak Mhaisekar, divisional commissioner of Pune.

He said there have been reports that people with travel history to the listed countries have been landing at airports in other cities and then taking road, trains or domestic flight to reach Pune, or pass through the city. “If passengers land at some other airport, and enter the city by domestic flights, railways or via road, then the screening process should not miss them,” said Mhaisekar.

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The Pune divisional commissioner said all passengers landing at the city airport in flights coming from Dubai – the only international connection the airport has – will be quarantined from now. “There will be compulsory quarantine for passengers from Dubai. As many as 190 passengers arrive in a day and we are planning a quarantine facility for 2,800 persons near the airport,” he said.

Mhaisekar said tour and travel companies have also been directed to submit the travel history of customers who have recently arrived from a foreign tour, so that they can undergo a medical check-up.

Mhaisekar said inter-state public transport has also been reduced, and 1,245 buses cancelled on Thursday. “There has been outgoing of 12,000 and incoming of 5,000 state transport buses in the city,” he said.

Railways has also cut down its services, with only 68 of 110 trains continuing to ply through Pune.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More

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Coronavirus