Coronavirus outbreak: Airports start stringent screening to check spread

The queues and tedium of airport travel just got longer, thanks to a new hygiene protocol at airports. Check-in staff observe departing passengers for sniffles, runny noses, and coughs. Coaches taking passengers to and from aircraft are washed down daily with alcohol-based cleaning agents. Infrared thermometers greet all international passengers arriving at Indian airports.

The screening of passengers from China had begun on January 17 and was later expanded to cover another 13 affected countries but with the detection of 39 cases, the government has escalated the preventive measures at all airports. Orders for universal screening were issued on Thursday and municipal and state doctors were hastily summoned to help with the task.
Passengers arriving at Mumbai and Delhi airports had to wait in a queue for up to 40 minutes for the pre-immigration health check. By Friday, however, the queues had shortened and the waiting time for most passengers had reduced to 5-15 minutes as additional doctors and paramedics were deputed for checks. But on the same day, the process was tightened further when the government ordered separate passages at customs and immigration and separate baggage belts for passengers arriving from 12 ‘vulnerable’ countries. The airports have yet to implement this directive. Read More