No Covid-19 positive case in Chhattisgarh, says health dept

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh health department, on Thursday, denied reports that a man from Bhilai has tested positive for novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Director health services Niraj Bansod told TOI that a person's blood sample was collected and sent to a laboratory at Nagpur after he arrived at Raipur from Kenya. "He had been confined to his home in Bhilai, considering his recent travel history," he said and added, "His blood reports have come and he has tested negative."
Health authorities are keeping an eye on passengers arriving at Swami Vivekananda Airport in the state capital.They are being screened and people coming from Covid- 19 affected countries are being taken to Bhimrao Ambedkar hospital for extensive screening at the isolation centre set up there.
Health department has got a 50-bed special isolation ward ready at Mana's Civil Hospital, which is situated in close proximity to Swami Vivekananda airport from where any suspected air passenger can be immediately shifted for treatment, shared Bansod.
Speaking about the screening facilities at Raipur airport, the airport director Rakesh Kumar Sahay, said, "Raipur is a domestic airport and international flyers to Raipur arrive here through international airports from all over India. Hence, the passengers are already screened at Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and other airports for CoVID-19 before they come here. However, at the domestic airport, the international flyers have to provide information through self-declaration, if they have any related symptoms. A team of doctors is stationed at the help desk centre to assist them."
Airport director went on to add, "The Bhilai-based man had flown to Raipur after travelling to Ethiopia, Dubai and Kenya. However, these countries aren't in list of CoVID-19-vulnerable nations, but since he had complained of cough, he got himself tested at airport's help desk, to be on the safer side."
As per state nodal surveillance agency, in the past one month, 24 people from Chhattisgarh, who have travel history of international tours, have been tested and all of them reported negative of CoVID-19. Till date nobody has tested positive for the infection in the state, said the health officials.