2 crew members of Chinese ship under isolation due to fever in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, February 19

Two Chinese crew members of a ship, which arrived from the novel coronavirus-hit China, have been kept in isolation due to fever while the vessel has been “kept away from access”, the Chennai Port Trust said here on Wednesday.

The ship with 19 Chinese crew had visited ports in that country and was allowed here on Tuesday after the 14-day incubation period from its last visit to a Chinese Port and after ensuring that all the crew were healthy based on pre arrival monitoring, a release from the Port Trust said.

On berthing, a health team of the Port Health Officer (PHO) boarded the vessel and examined all the crew.

“It was observed that two of the 19 crew members had mild fever without other respiratory symptoms and otherwise healthy in all respects.”

“These crew members were isolated within the ship and the ship is kept away from access of anybody from shore side and no crew is allowed shore access,” it added.

The blood samples of the isolated individuals were collected on Wednesday by a state Health team and the PHO and sent to the city-based Kings Institute of Preventive Medicine, it said, adding, the results were expected later in the day.

“After receipt of the report, the Port authorities and officials of PHO will take strict measures as per the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) regarding further action,” the release added.

The outbreak of coronavirus, known as COVID-19, in China has left 2004 people dead in the Asian country, even as the overal confirmed cases has crossed 74,000. —PTI