2% random testing of all int'l passengers from Saturday at TN airports

CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Friday said that the State health department is prepared to handle cases of COVID-19 and there is an adequate stock of medicines, while availability of oxygen and beds in the State is also adequate.

He said that the Chief Minister had enquired on the safety measures and medical infrastructure preparedness to ensure that there is no spread of the infection, after the cases due to new variant of COVID-19, BF.7, a sub-lineage of BA.5 variant of Omicron have seen a surge in other countries.

Several foreign countries including the United States of America, China, Japan, and South Korea are having more cases.

As a precautionary measure, Chief Minister had instructed to test all passengers arriving from these countries and showing symptoms.

Passengers from Japan, China, Hong Kong are undergoing two percent random RT-PCR testing at the airport.

"We also have a fever screening system in place at all the International Airports in the State. All passengers with symptoms of cold, cough or fever are being tested there. As per the directions of the Union government, we are going to implement random testing of 2 percent passengers arriving from other countries from December 24th. We are making the preparations at all international Airports, Coimbatore, Chennai, Madurai and Trichy," he said.

Health Minister will be inspecting the Chennai International Airport on Saturday and a meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is likely to take place on the current situation of COVID-19.