Domestic air passengers thermal-screened at city airport

Thermal screening of passengers in the domestic sector following the outbreak of coronavirus commenced at the airport here on Friday, authorities said.

One of the vital places in the city with more than 22,000 passengers visiting on an average every day, the airport authorities began the screening.

"Thermal screening of passengers arriving from foreign countries commenced early January. For those passengers in the domestic sector, it commenced on Friday," airport sources told PTI.

Tamil Nadu health and family welfare minister C Vijaya Baskar has been reviewing the measures taken at railway stations, bus terminals and airports.

Late Thursday, the Minister reviewed the preparedness and the precautionary measures that were taken at the Chennai Airport.

"After my inspection of the airport, it has been decided that 16,000 passengers from 160 arrivals will undergo thermal screening by staff working in three shifts," he said.

Reeling out statistics on the total number of screenings that have taken place in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said 1.98 lakh people were screened as on date.

A total of 4,253 patients were under follow-up, while 1,120 beds have been added to isolation wards.

Meanwhile, a PTI report from Coimbatore district said vehicle movement would be stopped between Tamil Nadu-Kerala by evening in order to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.

Though there was no case of COVID-19 reported in the district, steps were taken to prevent passenger-to-passenger spread, the district collector K Rajamani said in a press release.

All the nine checkposts bordering Kerala would be closed from the evening till further orders, he said.

The officials from Revenue, Police and Transport departments would monitor the process regularly, he said.

Majority of textile shops and jewellery, the major employers in the region was closed, besides malls and theatres in the city.

Powerloom weavers and owners have decided to stop production from Friday to April 5, responding to the call given by the government, sources said.