COVID-19: Nine quarantined in Maha, no confirmed case so far

As many as 161 travelers admitted to isolation wards of hospitals in Maharashtra tested negative for the coronavirus (COVID-19), and currently only nine persons are quarantined in the state, the Health Department said on Wednesday. The state has not reported any confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.

A total of 167 travelers were quarantined in Maharashtra since January when the outbreak of the virus was reported from China's Wuhan city. Of them, nine are currently under observation at hospitals -- seven in Mumbai and one each at Nashik and Nanded. While three of these quarantined persons tested negative for the infection, reports of six were awaited.

So far 66,977 passengers have been screened upon arrival at the Mumbai International Airport since mid-January. Passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, Iran and Malaysia are being screened at the airport.

All travelers from Wuhan are being isolated and tested, whether they show any symptoms are not. Travelers from other affected countries (who do not exhibit symptoms of the illness at the airport) are asked to observe home isolation for two weeks from their date of departure from the affected country. Local health authorities follow up their health daily during this period..