Coronavirus outbreak: PMO, Health Ministry hold high-level meet to review preparedness, all states on high alert

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office on Saturday reviewed India's preparedness to deal with the deadly coronavirus amid mounting global concern over increasing number of cases in China, the epicentre of the outbreak, and several other countries.

Travellers wear face masks at the West Kowloon train station in Hong Kong on Wednesday. By Lam Yik Fei © 2020 The New York Times

At a meeting chaired by PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the prime minister, health ministry officials presented an update about the response measures being undertaken in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak in China, official sources said.

The meeting was held on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The cabinet secretary, home secretary, foreign secretary, defence secretary, health secretary, civil aviation secretary and several other top officials attended the meeting.

An official statement later said health ministry officials briefed Mishra on the preparedness of hospitals, laboratories as well as on measures being taken for the capacity building of rapid response teams to deal with possible cases of coronavirus.

The principal secretary to the prime minister also reviewed the various preventive measures taken by other ministries, including the civil aviation ministry.

The officials assured Mishra that the situation is being closely monitored by the health and family welfare ministry, in coordination with various other Union ministries as well as state governments and union territories.

So far, 20,000 people from 115 flights at seven international airports in the country have been screened, the statement said. The National Institute of Virology labs are fully equipped to test the virus.

All state and district health authorities have been alerted and are in a state of preparedness for prevention and possible management, if required, it said.