Covid- 19 scare: Inform about foreigner patients, Delhi government tells private hospitals, nursing homes

TNN | Mar 17, 2020, 04.18 AM IST

NEW DELHI: All private hospitals and nursing homes have been asked by Delhi government to mandatorily report on foreign nationals undergoing treatment at their facilities. Delhi has many corporate hospitals that are frequented by foreigners.

Officials said some of them may have arrived before the imposition of visa restrictions and they have to be traced and screened to ensure that the foreign nationals aren’t carriers of the novel coronavirus.

Covid-19 has affected as many as 162 countries till date. China, Italy, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Spain are among the worst affected nations.

India has, so far, reported only 114 cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and two individuals have succumbed to it.

This is because that disease has been limited to persons with travel history to the affected countries and those who came in contact with the infected individuals. There is currently no community transmission of Covid-19, according to the government.

However, experts agree, the risk of such an eventuality where Covid-19 breaks out in communities affecting larger number of people cannot be ruled out. “Tracing the high risk individuals and quarantining them until they recover is the only way to contain the disease spread. We need to focus on tracing each and every individual, Indian or foreigner, who has travel history to countries affected by Covid-19,” said a health official.

As of Monday, Delhi had reported seven Covid-19 cases and one death. State health officials said at least two out of the seven patients have been discharged from the hospital.

Last week, Delhi government declared Covid-19 an epidemic and issued Delhi Epidemic Disease Covid-19 Regulations 2020 to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in the capital. The regulations give officials the power to take “coercive action” against any person if he refuses to “cooperate” with the authorities.

“Action will be taken against any suspect/confirmed case if they refuse to take measures for prevention/treatment,” it states. The government has suspended operations of all gymnasiums, Spas, night clubs and theatres in the state till March 31 to contain a potential Covid-19 outbreak.

It is advised that people with the disease symptoms should watch out for severe symptoms such as shortness of breath. Those with mild symptoms like fever and dry cough tend to recover on their own with symptomatic treatment.