Coronavirus scare: Cochin airport to quarantine staff who came in contact with Pathanamthitta family

As per CIAL director, CCTV visuals show staff inside aerobridge, one security personnel, one staffer each from ground booking, emigration counter coming in contact with family.
Airport staff wearing face mask to avoid coronavirus. (Photo | R Satish Babu/EPS)
Airport staff wearing face mask to avoid coronavirus. (Photo | R Satish Babu/EPS)

KOCHI: With three passengers who had arrived at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) from Italy, testing positive for COVID-19, airport authorities have decided to step up precautionary measures to combat the spread of the virus.

Initially, staff at the airport who had been in direct contact with the three passengers will be quarantined.

Till now, the CIAL authorities have identified six staff members who will be put in home quarantine for two weeks under the precautionary protocol.

The three-member family from Pathanamthitta had landed at the airport by the Doha to Kochi (QR 514) flight at 8.30 am on February 29.

As per CIAL director A C K Nair, the CCTV visuals show staff inside the aerobridge, one security personnel, and one staffer each from ground booking and emigration counter coming directly in contact with the three passengers.

It was also learnt that the trio had visited the duty-free shop inside the airport, said the director. An employee from the duty-free shop will also be put under home quarantine, said the director. “Hundreds of staff were present in the airport when they landed.

"The rest of the staff who were on duty were also instructed to undergo check-ups. The guidelines issued by the Health Ministry, including isolation, will have to be followed if anyone is found having symptoms like fever,” he added.

Meanwhile, all the international passengers arriving at CIAL will be asked to complete the declaration form. Those who are suspected to have the symptoms during the screening counter set up at the airport will be shifted to the hospitals. The ambulances of the Health Department will be ready at the airport.

Airport authorities will also arrange for dedicated aerobridges to those passengers who are arriving from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

They will also have seperate parking bays. Passengers from these countries will also have dedicated screening and immigration counters.

Instead of selected screening, the CIAL has started Universal screening from March 3 itself. Passengers arriving at international and domestic terminals through connection flights from other countries and states will also be instructed to undergo the medical procedures at the airport.

Airport authorities will also carry out sanitisation drives at regular intervals.

Two more persons admitted in Kochi district

Two more persons were admitted to the isolation ward at Kalamassery Medical College on Sunday as part of the precautionary protocol to combat COVID-19. With these, a total of eight persons are now admitted at the isolation ward here.

All these persons either came from COVID-19 hit countries or have contacted with suspects. According to health department, a total of 152 persons are now house quarantined and are under observation in the district.

Measures for stringent screening

■ Hectic tracing operation for all passengers in the QR 514 flight, their secondary contacts and employees who contacted them on Feb 29
■ As the universal screening was started only on March 3, there were in-flight announcements and intimation at immigration counters for the passengers who were coming from COVID-19-hit countries like Italy
■ Flights arriving from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to be given dedicated parking bay and aero bridge
■ Dedicated health screen counters, immigration counters, hand baggage screening X-ray and registered baggage belts to be given to passengers arriving from the COVID-19 hit countries

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