Tripura has sounded an alert to prevent the spread of novel corona virus and issued a high alert across the state, especially along the areas adjoining the Indo-Bangladesh international border.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Tripura health secretary Debashish Bose said, “The health department of the state received an advisory from the ministry today. The state health department is maintaining a close watch on the disease and also taking necessary steps to screen people coming inside Indian territory from adjoining Bangladesh through the land customs stations (LCS) and Akhaura international checkpost (ICP).”

Bose said they could not adopt the screening procedure at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport and railway station for lack of manpower. However, he said people entering through all land customs stations and checkposts would be screened.

An official of Airport Authority of India (AAI) told this correspondent that certain measures have been taken at the airport in Agartala to combat the corona virus. A desk for screening people with symptoms of the virus has been set up by the AAI.

The director of family welfare and preventive medicine Radha Debbarma said a medical team has already gone to Agartala-Akhaura checkpost to check people entering Indian territory from Bangladesh.

“No virus has been detected so far. But we want to make sure that each case is screened. We also want to sensitise common people about the disease and precautionary measures that can be adopted. So, we are issuing advertisements and other public awareness techniques to sensitise them,” Debbarma said.

The state health department has also directed the Agartala Government Medical College to prepare its isolation ward for handling any patient who might be identified with corona virus.