In Pune, a passenger who returned from China was admitted to the quarantine ward of Naidu hospital, while a Sangli resident was admitted in the isolation ward of Miraj Government Medical College. (Representational Image)

With coronavirus spreading globally and at least 24 countries reporting the viral infection, passengers flying in from not just China and Hong Kong, but also Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia will be screened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Ten state health officials have been deputed to monitor thermal scanning of passengers landing in Mumbai.

As on Monday, 14,557 coronavirus cases were confirmed across 24 countries, while India reported its third confirmed case in Kerala.

In Pune, a passenger who returned from China was admitted to the quarantine ward of Naidu hospital, while a Sangli resident was admitted in the isolation ward of Miraj Government Medical College. So far, at least five people remain under quarantine in Pune and Miraj on suspicions of the infection after they returned from China.

Since January 17, 8,878 passengers from China have been screened at the airport. Of them, 104 visited Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, and 21 people developed a cough, cold and fever, the common symptoms of coronavirus. They were all put under quarantine facilities as a precaution. While reports of 18 have tested negative for the virus, the remaining have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for testing.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has intensified its screening procedure to ensure no infected person goes undiagnosed from the airport. Each passenger with a travel history to Wuhan will be tested for coronavirus even if they have no symptoms.

“They will be kept under surveillance for 14 days. If they develop cough, cold or fever, we will quarantine them and wait for repeat test,” a state official said.