Samples of 23 people with travel history to China to be sent to Pune: Pb minister

Authorities in Punjab will be sending samples of 23 people who travelled to China recently in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak there, a state minister said on Friday. Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu also said so far 1,804 passengers have been screened at Amritsar and Mohali airports as well as border check posts of Attari and Dera Baba Nanak.

No symptomatic or suspected case of coronavirus was reported out of these passengers, he added. "The passengers coming from China to Punjab after January 15, 2020, are being contacted and samples are being taken. Samples of 23 passengers are being sent for testing at NIV, Pune," Sidhu said.

He said a total of 33 passengers with travel history to China had reported in Punjab, out of which samples of two suspected patients have tested negative and eight passengers have completed 14-day observation period. The remaining 23 passengers are under regular observation of the health department.