As Kerala reports five fresh cases, Cochin airport starts tracing all 182 passengers on Qatar Airlines flight

Officials said the three coronavirus infected passengers slipped as the universal screening (screening for all international arriving passengers) was started only on March 3.
CISF officials wearing masks while checking documents of airport staff at Cochin International Airport. (Photo| EPS/Albin Mathew)
CISF officials wearing masks while checking documents of airport staff at Cochin International Airport. (Photo| EPS/Albin Mathew)

KOCHI: With five persons confirmed with coronavirus in Kerala -- three coming from Italy and two of their relatives -- the Cochin International Airport has begun hectic tracing operations of all passengers in the Qatar Airways' Doha-Cochin flight and their secondary contacts and the airport employees who attended them on February 29.

There were 182 passengers in the Doha- Cochin flight.

At an emergency meeting chaired by Ernakulam collector S Suhas, held at the Kochi airport on Sunday, flights arriving from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are be given dedicated parking bay and dedicated aero-bridge (parking bay 19 and 20, aero-bridge 1 and 2).

It was also decided that the passengers arriving from Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore are be given dedicated health screen counters, immigration counters, hand baggage screening X-ray, registered baggage belts and also they need to be segregated from the other international arriving passengers (hand baggage screening X-ray, registered baggage belts (1 and 2). "No mixing is permitted between the passengers arriving from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and other passengers," said the CIAL spokesman.

After the last passenger arrival of these flights, the disinfection process will be carried by CIAL Pest Management Team as per the direction of airport health officer inside the aero-bridge and later in the arrival areas (arrival health and immigration areas, customs areas, X-ray, baggage trolleys, washrooms etc).

The meeting also decided to initiate a massive disinfestation at the airport.

Officials said the three coronavirus infected passengers slipped as the universal screening (screening for all international arriving passengers) was started only on March 3, there were inflight announcements and intimation at immigration counters for the passengers who were coming from non-pandemic countries like Italy from were those passengers came.

However, they failed to report their travel details before the officials.

The government has also asked the passengers who travelled by Venice to Doha (QR 126) on February 28 and Doha to Kochi on February 29 to immediately contact the health department's helpline number (DISHA):  0471 2552056, 1056 (toll-free)

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