— Internet CHATTOGRAM, Feb 16: Chittagong Port, the prime seaport of the country, is now following international rules to check the spread of novel coronavirus.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) at a meeting on February 13 decided that the seamen of China as well as the ships which reached the port via China will have to wait in the sea for 14-22 days.
Besides, the ships could be berthed at the jetties for loading and unloading after 14-22 days. Before this time, no seamen of these ships could enter the port city.
The Bangladesh government has already stopped issuing on-arrival visas for these seamen, sources concerned said.
They said the CPA is now screening the seamen at outer anchorage.
"If any seaman tests negative for the virus, he cannot get off the ship. Rather he will have to wait in the deep sea," said CPA Secretary Omar Faruk.
"It is a compliant port now. So, we have to follow international rules for preventing the spread of coronavirus. We have taken all necessary measures in this regard," he said.
"CPA is screening the seamen and crewmembers coming here from China," he added.
A medical team led by the Chattogram divisional health officer has been deployed at Chittagong Port for screening the seamen coming from China.
Besides, the CPA has formed a full-fledged medical team with its own physicians and specialists in this regard. The teams found no cases of coronavirus so far.
Chief Medical Officer of CPA Dr Motaher Hossain said, "We have screened around 750 Chinese seamen till January 31. We are also screening all seamen including those of the ships which reached the port via China. Around 1,000 seamen were screened till February 14."
"We have not found any case of coronavirus till now," he added.
A total of 17 seamen who arrived in Sitakunda area of Chattogram by a scrap ship on February 10 were sent back to China on February 12.
Meanwhile, the new strain of the virus has managed to enter some 27 countries from China since the outbreak begun in Chinese city Wuhan in December last year.
Under the circumstances, the Shipping Ministry of Bangladesh has ordered the authorities of Chattogram, Mongla and Payra seaports, alongside all land ports, to take safety and cautionary measures to prevent the deadly virus, known as KOVID 19, from spreading into Bangladesh.
As part of precautionary measures against novel coronavirus outbreak, the government has also taken some steps at Shah Amanat International Airport of Chattogram to prevent the deadly virus. Thermal scanners are being used to screen the people arriving in the airport since January 18.
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