We’re alert over SARS-like killer virus in China: government

Dar es Salaam. The government yesterday assured that it was closely monitoring the outbreak of SARS-like virus known as coronavirus in China and East Asia.

The coronavirus has spread in some provinces of China and into neighbouring countries of East Asia. By press time yesterday, the virus had killed nine people and hundreds others confirmed infected in an outbreak that started in the central city of Wuhan -- described by Chinese state media as “the main battlefield” against the disease.

The virus is spreading just as hundreds of millions of people are travelling in packed trains, planes and buses across China to gather with friends and family for the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts Friday.

Health deputy minister Faustine Ndugulile told The Citizen yesterday that thermo scanners have been installed at all key entry points, including airports and borders.

“The world is now like a village, so, we’re not taking any chances, we’re watching closely the outbreak of coronavirus which has been reported in China,” noted Dr Ndugulile.

“The Chinese are our partners and the two countries enjoy a close relationship. Our experts are monitoring the matter so that we remain safe.

“We have installed the systems at airports for identifying the affected or suspects before taking them to a special area for more examinations to ascertain that it is that they have.

“The installed modern equipment have the capacity of scanning over 100 people at a time,” said Dr Ndugulile, adding that thermal scanners had a capacity to scan a large group of people at ago.

The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-03.

The new virus is known to have infected hundreds, although doctors fear its true scale could be higher. A number of western countries have stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the virus after the United States on Tuesday confirmed its first case. European countries have registered no cases by press time yesterday.

Britain on Wednesday enhanced monitoring of flights from the central China city at the heart of a new SARS-like virus.

London’s Heathrow airport, which is Europe’s busiest, said the stepped-up checks were “a precaution”.

“We would like to reassure passengers that the government assesses the risk of a traveller contracting coronavirus to be low,” a Heathrow spokesperson said.

Romanian health authorities on Wednesday also said they intend to introduce screening measures at airports. Elsewhere in Europe, Italy’s health ministry said it would introduce temperature checks for passengers arriving on the next scheduled direct arrival from Wuhan to Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

The airport has three direct flights a week with Wuhan.

French Health minister Agnes Buzyn said authorities were monitoring the situation but not following the lead of nations such as Russia, which has put up posters telling passengers what to do in case of symptoms.

Such measures are not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Buzyn said, and are “not very effective”.

A WHO spokesman said Tuesday that “based on currently available information, there is no justification for any restriction of travel or trade”.

German health authorities said they had also refrained from taking any measures at airports.