Coronavirus quarantine facility set up near Delhi for 300 students returning from China

The Army added that the students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection.

NEW DELHI: Responding to an emergency requirement propping up due to the Coronavirus health emergency emanating from Wuhan China, Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility with plans to shift suspected cases to the Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment.

Army says, "To create and manage a facility for quarantine of approximately 300 Indian students arriving from Wuhan, China, the Indian Army has created a facility near Manesar." 

The students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection, added the Army.

There will be dedicated manpower with relevant qualifications. "The facility will be administered by a nominated Officer In Charge (OIC) who will have under his command a Community Medicine Specialist, two Nursing Officers, a Lady Medical Officer and one Nursing Assistant," Army said.

There will be a standard procedure followed right after the arrival of the passengers from China.

"The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps, the first one being screening at the airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC)."

Actions will start on Arrival at Airport where the screening will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority (APHO). 

Three-group classification

As per observation and analysis during the screening, people will be classified into three groups: Suspect Case, Close Contact and Non-Contact case.

The people will be segregated into Suspect case - individuals with any signs of fever and/or cough and/or respiratory distress will be directly transferred to BHDC.

The cases of Close Contact, individual without symptoms but having visited a seafood/animal market or a health facility or having come into contact with a Chinese person with symptoms in the last 14 days will be escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility.

The Non-Contact Case, individual without any symptom(s) or contact or who does not fit into either (a) or (b) will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus - With five doctors, Air India's B747 plane departs to Wuhan to evacuate Indians

Accommodation

The facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students. Each barrack has been further subdivided into barracks. The population of sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other.

Protection

The Army will follow a well-planned routine and daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. 

PPE consists of mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves. Rest of the visitors and all students will wear a three layered mask at all times. After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the District/ State surveillance units for further surveillance. 

Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC's isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery. Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV. 

Apart from playing games, watching TV and having meals together within the barrack, no one will be allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector.

No civilian or serving personnel detailed to work inside the facility will be allowed to go outside unless compelled by extreme emergency situation.

The government has reached over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India.

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692.

Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths.