CHENNAI: Treatment for novel coronavirus will be done only at government hospitals and no private hospital should admit or treat patients with symptoms of the disease, the state health department told doctors’ bodies and private hospitals at a consultation meeting on Thursday.“All passengers coming from China have been put on home quarantine for 28 days. Our staff are in touch with them over phone. They have been told to contact health inspectors or village health nurses if they have symptoms of fever, sore throat, cold or breathing difficulty. If they call private hospitals, doctors there should direct them to government hospitals. If they land at their hospitals, we should be notified so we can pick them,” said Dr P Sampath, public health joint director of public health (epidemic control), after the meeting.The intention is to ensure the virus does not spread within the community. “We don’t have much information about the virus now. We don’t want any risk of suspected cases being exposed to the general public. At least four private hospitals said they have exclusive quarantine facilities, but we denied them permission,” he said. Public hospitals in the state have kept more than 250 beds ready for passengers who have to be quarantined. “The testing facility is now available only with King Institute. Facilities for testing patients are also available only at government hospitals,” he said.On Wednesday, Director of public health Dr K Kolanda Swamy said the state did not restrict private hospitals from treating patients with symptoms. However, during the stakeholders’ meeting officials made a U-turn on Thursday. Nevertheless, officials shared information about the virus and the protocol of the Centre and state.Meanwhile, health secretary Beela Rajesh said Tamil Nadu is encouraging Chinese nationals who have come to India after the outbreak of coronavirus to leave the country as early as possible. “Two Chinese nationals are currently admitted to government hospitals along with nine others,” she said. A student from China has been admitted in an isolation ward at the Asaripallam Government Medical College and Hospital in Kanyakumari district since Wednesday morning. Hospital authorities said she did not have any symptoms of the infection. “We are asking them to go back as early as possible,” Beela Rajesh said.