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New Delhi/Mumbai, April 28 To prevent the entry and spread of swine flu virus in the country, the Government has put in place a series of measures including screening air travellers arriving at nine major international airports and setting up quarantine areas at these airports.

Official sources said that from Wednesday, there will be enhanced surveillance of international passengers arriving at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Kolkata and Jaipur.

“This is being done to prevent the entry of passengers who may be carrying the virus. If there is a need, screening quarantine areas will be identified at the airports to segregate such passengers,” a senior Government official said. Passengers arriving from affected countries including the US, Mexico, Canada and Spain could come in for closer scrutiny.

The Health Ministry is also working on a form to be given to all international passengers arriving in the country seeking details of whether they have been in a swine flu affected area in the recent past.

“The forms, which will be on lines of the yellow fever forms which used to be distributed earlier, should be ready by Wednesday. The Ministry of Civil Aviation will be responsible for distributing these to airlines flying into the country,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) will be providing infrastructural support at the airport to Airport Health Officials (AHO) who will begin screening incoming passengers from Wednesday midnight. The inbound passengers from swine influenza affected nations will be screened for symptoms of the viral before they enter the immigration area, said a MIAL spokesperson.

MIAL will be setting up counters apart from providing a few rest rooms and an ambulance at the airport to assist AHOs in their check-up procedures.

Despite the rapid spread of the virus, it was still too early to gauge its real impact on the industry, leading travel agents felt. According to Mr Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Vice-President, Mercury Travels, customers travelling in the next 10-15 days to the affected areas have been enquiring on what they should be doing before visiting those countries.

“However, we have not been able to conclusively suggest anything to them because there is very little known about the infection at the moment. There should be more clarity on the situation by next week or so,” he said. Mr Kakkar added that if the fear about the infection continues, the travel business could be impacted.

The acting President, Travel Agents Fraternity of India, Mr Pradip Lulla said that so far there have been no cancellations. Thomas Cook’s India office also said it has not witnessed any major change in customers’ travel plans, as of now.

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