Students at Bengaluru City Railway Station. (PTI)
IT companies in Bengaluru have been told to ask employees who have travelled to countries affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to report to the health department and to seek permission for any travel plans. The Karnataka government has issued a health advisory to this effect.
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“Any passenger who has visited affected countries in the last 14 days and come to Karnataka, has to self intimate the health department. If he/she has to travel again from Bengaluru to other places, he/she has to take permission from the health department or has to intimate the concerned officials of the health department,” Karnataka Health Secretary Jawed Akhtar stated in the advisory issued on March 4.
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Employees wear masks as prevention against coronavirus, in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (PTI)
According to the advisory, firms should avoid “non-essential travel” to countries affected by COVID-19. “Employees arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE and Qatar must undergo medical screening at airport entry,” it stated.
Five people are in quarantine in Karnataka with three having tested negative and test results of the remaining two awaited, officials of the communicable diseases unit said. “Till date, 637 travelers from affected countries have been identified and 419 are under home isolation, four Chinese passengers have left the country and five are in selected isolation hospital,” stated a health bulletin.