The Mizoram government has begun screening of passengers along the Mizoram-Assam border to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, a health department official said on Thursday.

The official said a screening counter has been set up at the excise checkgate at Vairengte on the Mizoram-Assam border and a medical team from Vairengte community health centre has been deployed there since Tuesday.

So far, no suspected case has been detected among passengers coming from other parts of the country.

He said the screening counter has been set up at Kawrpuichhuah on the Mizoram-Bangladesh border, besides Lengpui airport and Zokhawthar near the Myanmar border where medical teams have been deployed.

According to the official, health minister R. Lalthangliana inspected the screening point at Kawrpuichhuah on Tuesday.

Mizoram is sandwiched between Myanmar and Bangladesh, with which it shares more than 820km unfenced international border.

On January 30, the state government had constituted a task force in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Officials said screening counters will be set up as when and where the committee felt necessary.

The health department said at least seven students, who have returned from China recently, were put under home quarantine as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It said no case of coronavirus has been detected in the state till date.

Two blood samples were sent to Calcutta for a laboratory test.

The department has also launched helpline numbers to furnish information related to coronavirus.