The US has extended coronavirus screening to 20 airports that handle almost all incoming passengers from China to prevent the entry of the deadly virus.
The novel coronavirus that first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December has so far killed 107 people and infected 4,474 others.
The Washington Post stated that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sending staff to carry out the checks at these airports.
The CDC has also installed facilities to quarantine passengers who exhibit symptoms at 20 locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu and New York.
In a public statement, US vice-president Mike Pence said: “The CDC is following an aggressive plan that will enable us to identify potential cases. So I mentioned there’s five confirmed cases in the United States so far.
“We’re already conducting screening at 20 American airports, and they’re the airports that receive 90% of all passengers from China. Any passengers who are ill will receive additional screening.”
The US has registered five confirmed cases of the coronavirus, while 110 people are under observation.
The CDC has issued a ‘Warning – Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel’ advisory for all travel to China, while the US State Government has asked people to reconsider their travel plans to China.
In India, the Punjab Government has installed thermal sensors at airports in the state. Pakistan and UAE have also started screening passengers at its airports.
Last week, airports in India, the UK, Russia, Hong Kong and China adopted preventive safety measures.
Airports in Malaysia, Canada, Thailand and Uganda have also implemented different measures to contain the spread of the virus.
