8 including German national show coronavirus symptoms in Andhra, kept under observation

The eight passengers landed from Singapore, Bahrain, South Korea, Germany and Muscat and they were admitted to local government hospitals for observation.

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Eight people who arrived from different foreign countries in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday were placed under observation for possible novel coronavirus infection as the government asked officials to take concerted preventive efforts while asserting no positive case has been reported in the state.

Special Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) KS Jawahar Reddy said five of the passengers landed in Visakhapatnam (three from Singapore and two from Bahrain) and had been admitted to the local Chest Hospital for observation.

One passenger each in Kakinada, Vijayawada and Eluru, who returned from South Korea, Germany and Muscat respectively, were admitted to the local government hospitals, he said in a statement.

We have sent their blood samples for examination but nothing turned positive so far, Jawahar Reddy said.

Meanwhile, state Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting in the Secretariat and asked all departments to launch a concerted effort, including a massive campaign on coronavirus and the precautionary measures to be taken, officials said.

No positive case of coronavirus has been reported in Andhra Pradesh, so people need not panic, Sawhney said. She asked the district Collectors to shift to isolation wards in hospitals persons suspected of coronavirus infection.

"Ensure that quarantine facilities are available at one or two places in every district and be prepared to tackle any situation," the Chief Secretary told the Collectors.

The measures came on a day when the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 28.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas said that the state has not registered a single positive Covid-19 case so far. He added that 281 passengers had been screened. At least 65 of them were advised self-isolation at home.

Srinivas said the government had taken all necessary measures to contain the possible spread of the virus. He also urged people to not panic. The government has arranged isolation wards in hospitals across all 13 districts in the state. He said the health authorities in the state were following all the guidelines issued by the Centre.

With IANS and PTI inputs