More than 300 passengers who arrived in Dushanbe from China have been placed under quarantine amid coronavirus fear. Although they do not have the coronavirus symptoms, they will be under quarantine for 14 days as a preventing measure.
An official source at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection says more than 220 people have been taken to the Dushanbe infectious diseases hospital in the Zarafshon neighborhood unit. “Patients of the infectious diseases hospital has been placed in the children’s infectious diseases hospital, and the infectious diseases hospital in the Zarafshon neighborhood unit is currently closed for other patients” the source said.
According to him, 80 other passengers have also been placed under quarantine in other hospitals.
“All of them do not have the coronavirus symptoms, but they will be under quarantine for 14 days as a preventing measure,” the source said.
Among those who are currently under quarantine are mostly Tajik businesspeople and students as well as Chinese citizens working in Tajikistan, the source added.
Quarantine means physically separating a person who has been exposed, but does not have the disease.
A source at Dushanbe International Airport has confirmed that all passengers who arrived from China were examined and were sent to the Dushanbe infectious diseases hospital. They have reportedly arrived in Dushanbe from China by the flight via the Kazakh city of Almaty.
Meanwhile, international media reports said on February 4 that the coronavirus outbreak has killed at least 427 people and infected more than 20,000 globally, as it continues to spread beyond China. One person outside mainland China, a man in the Philippines, has died, according to CNN.
The virus has reportedly been confirmed in more than 25 countries and territories since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.
Nearly 60 million people remain under lockdown in Chinese cities as international researchers race to develop a vaccine and halt its spread.
CNN says International researchers are racing develop a vaccine and halt the virus' spread, with some promising signs.
