Nagpur: To check and contain cases, if any, of coronavirus-2, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has chalked out a plan to track and test all air passengers who returned from Europe, Middle East or South Africa in the last one month. Also, it has been made mandatory for flyers who landed in India outside Maharashtra to sign an undertaking at airport that they did not travel from these countries in last 15 days.
Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B appealed to air passengers who returned from Europe, Middle East or South Africa in last one month to call up NMC’s control room (0712-2567021) with details of their travel. “Our team will visit them, check for symptoms and get them RT-PCR tested. Participation from public is must to check and contain this virus in larger interest of the public and city,” he said.
The civic chief added NMC was expected to receive a list of air passengers from these countries from Bureau of Immigration in a couple of days. NMC officials will then visit all passengers.
Radhakrishnan on Tuesday held a meeting with airport officials. NMC gave format of an undertaking that airport officials have to get signed by passengers coming from out of the state. Passengers who land at Mumbai and Pune will be tested and quarantined there itself. Those who land in other states and come to city on domestic flights will be checked here. “We will regularly get list of such passengers. They will have to voluntarily disclose. To avoid missing any passenger, we will take an undertaking at airport. If any person gives a false undertaking, we will register FIR and take further action,” the municipal chief said.
Radhakrishnan on Tuesday also issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for passengers arriving in the city from these countries. Additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Nipane (7045658186) has been appointed nodal officer for effective implementation of SOPs.
Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) has been appointed dedicated health care facility for identified suspects. Dean of GMCH has been asked to make arrangements for effective implementation of NMC order. NMC has identified nine private hotels having 250 beds for institutional quarantine facility. It is not clear whether passengers will bear the cost or the civic body.
As per NMC, international flights have not resumed at city airport. Two international flights from Sharjah and Doha used to land here which stopped with outbreak of Covid-19 in March.