A round-the-clock control room, quarantine centres and sanitization of long-distance buses are some of the measures the East Singhbhum district administration has initiated to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus, no confirmed case of which has yet been found in Jharkhand.

“We have started a 24x7 control room with a dedicated number, 0657-2440111, at the police control room (PCR) near Sakchi police station,” said Nand Kishore Lal, additional district magistrate (ADM), law and order. “It will be manned by administrative officials in three shifts till April 14. Any calls pertaining to novel coronavirus will be attended by the official and routed to the civil surgeon.”

Administration sources said officials have been trained to disperse tips on prevention of novel coronavirus and also to collect location, contact numbers and other details — such as whether they have come from affected states or abroad — of persons who show symptoms, and then transfer the same to the civil surgeon or the ADM law and order for follow-up.

“We are also setting up a 400-bed quarantine centre at police training centre in Mosaboni under Ghatshila sub-division and 50-bed quarantine centres each in Jamshedpur and Mango. The civic bodies (Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee or JNAC and Mango Notified Area Committee or MNAC) will be selecting the centres and informing us in a day or two,” said ADM Lal.

A training session will also be conducted of personnel to be deputed at 12 inter-state and inter-district check-points.

“The personnel would be deputed to check if a person has flu-like symptoms and also seek report on travel history of those entering the district. They will be trained on using digital thermometers. We are also trying to procure thermal screens,” Lal said.

JNAC city manager Ravi Bharti on Wednesday held a meeting with private bus operators at the long-distance bus terminus in Sitaramdera to start sanitization using disinfectant inside the buses and also encourage buss staff to use masks and be vigilant about any passenger showing symptoms.

“We have asked all the bus operators to advise their staff to be vigilant about passengers showing symptoms of coughing, sneezing or having fever and immediately inform the contractor entrusted to maintain cleanliness at the bus terminus soon after arrival at the terminus,” Bharti said. “The contractor would keep the passenger at the isolated place in the bus terminus and inform the control room so that necessary action can be taken for quarantine of the persons after necessary examination and seeking details of their travel history.”

All bus owners have been told to sanitize the vehicles once they arrive at the terminus.