COVID-19: No confirmed cases in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, Mar 09: Samples of the 32 persons screened for possible novel coronavirus infection have tested negative in Chhattisgarh, a health official said.

So far no confirmed case of novel coronavirus has been reported in the state, they said.

"In Chhattisgarh, a total of 36 samples have been sent for COVID-19 test so far, of which, 32 are found to be negative while reports of the rest four are awaited," the official said.

The samples are being tested at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Raipur.

Till date, a total of 27 persons, have been kept in home isolation and under surveillance while nine others have completed 28 days of observation, he said.

All these people had either recently travelled to coronavirus-affected countries or had came into contact with persons suspected to have exposed to the infection, he said.

Explaining the awareness measures, the official said health advisories, alerts and signages have been displayed at the airport and railway stations.

Besides, an appeal has been made to people to report if they had visited China or other affected countries after February 1, he said.

"The government is conducting training for healthcare personnel which included areas like contact tracing, sample collection and transport, infection prevention and control protocol," he said.

Besides, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) at the levels of the state, division and district have been sensitised and activated, the official added.