Six Chinese in Shimla test negative for coronavirus

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 19

Six Chinese nationals, including three women, who were staying in a Thiara home stay in Lakkar Bazaar area in Shimla, have been screened for coronavirus and they show no symptoms of the virus.

On receiving information last night that six Chinese came to Shimla, the health officer of Shimla Municipal Corporation Dr Surekha Chopra informed the district authorities.

The district administration took them for the screening test and the report revealed that their respiration, cough and fever test were normal, said Deputy Commissioner Shimla Amit Kashyap adding that they have been advised to avoid unnecessary visit to public places and report to the health officials in case of symptoms of cough and fever.

The advisory also emphasized hand washing, cough etiquettes and maintaining social distance as a precautionary measure. Teams were rushed to home stay where the Chinese were staying and the screening was also done there today, he added.

Five of the six Chinese nationals — Mao Pengefi (30) who had arrived India on February 13, Wu Chunee (34), Liu Xiugin (46), Chen Jingheng (43) and Zhang Jiani who arrived on February 16, were screened before leaving China and were again screened at Kolkata airport. One national Xie peng came to India via Malaysia.

The Chinese nationals had visited Kolkata, Gaya, Delhi, Rishikesh, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Amritsar and Shimla. As per the self-declaration forms submitted by them in Kolkata, they had no history of visiting Wuhan city of China where coronavirus broke out after January 15 and all of them are asymptomatic.

The visa of Mao Pengefi, who arrived on February 13, is valid up to June 2020 while the visa of the remaining five Chinese would expire on February 27. All of them are leaving Shimla tomorrow (February 20).

Meanwhile, all the hotels, home stay and rest houses have been asked to inform the authorities immediately in case any Chinese is residing in their accommodations.