26 dead in China with Coronavirus : 2 under watch in Mumbai

Mumbai: Two persons who returned from China have been kept under medical observation here for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus which has infected a large number of people in the neighbouring country, said officials on Friday.

As many as 1,789 passengers underwent thermal screening at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here for the coronavirus since January 19 and two of them, who had travelled to China, have been admitted to civic- run Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokali, they said.

China has widened its travel restrictions in Hubei province - the centre of the coronavirus outbreak - as the death toll climbed to 26. The restrictions will affect at least 20 million people across 10 cities, including the capital, Wuhan, where the virus emerged.

IndiGo and Air India on Friday announced that in view of the Coronavirus outbreak, they are offering change and cancellation fee waiver for all flights to or from China if the travel period is within next one month.

IndiGo currently runs two daily direct flights to China, one is on Delhi-Chengdu route and another is on Kolkata-Guangzhou route. The coronavirus outbreak in China could have a "lasting economic impact" on the global tourism sector if panic is allowed to spread, the World Travel and Tourism Council warned Friday.

"Previous cases have shown us that closing airports, cancelling flights and closing borders often has a greater economic impact than the outbreak itself," said WTTC chief Gloria Guevara. "Quick, accurate and transparent communication is also crucial in order to contain panic and mitigate negative economic losses.