Coronavirus: Highest alert issued at Benapole land port

Health authorities have issued the highest alert at Benapole land port in Jashore to detect patients infected with Coronavirus.

The alert was issued this afternoon after authorities there received a letter from the health ministry in this regard, our local correspondent reported.

There are four medical teams checking passengers, truck drivers and their helpers coming into the country from India since Thursday afternoon, said Dr Bichitra Mallick, medical officer of Benapole Check Post.

The tests are being conducted with a thermos detector as the lone thermal scanner's screen has stopped working, the physician said.

Around 7,000 to 8,000 local and foreign passengers use the land port from both countries daily, he said. The health check-up has been started since January 18 following the Coronavirus threat, he added.

Photo: STAR

Since then, a total of 30,196 passengers were screened at the land port. Among them 6,048 are from India and 206 are Bangladeshis.

"We're yet to find anyone infected with coronavirus. If we find anyone infected with any sign of the virus, he/she would be sent to local upazila health complex," the doctor said.