Rajkotupdates.news : COVID Explosion on Flight From Italy On March 27, dozens of passengers aboard a Rome to Amritsar charter flight tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving at Amritsar airport – marking it as yet another large-scale international traveler outbreak from Italy in just the past week.
Details of the Flight from Italy Passengers Tested Positive for COVID-19
Reports by multiple media houses indicate that passengers on an international flight from Italy were found to have contracted COVID-19, an illness responsible for an unprecedented global pandemic. The incident took place Wednesday afternoon when their plane landed in Amritsar, India.
Passengers suspected to have been exposed were quickly taken to an emergency room at the airport for testing using RT-PCR; according to Indian newspaper News 18, all adult passengers were found infected. Subsequently, those found positive were quarantined at a hospital until further testing could take place.
As part of its vaccination campaign, India has instituted restrictions on travelers from countries considered high-risk for COVID-19 infection – News 18 has reported that infected passengers on an Italian flight were among them.
Travelers entering Costa Rica are required to present proof of anti-COVID-19 vaccination or negative swab test prior to entering, or face quarantine upon their arrival if they lack a Green pass – a medical certificate which certifies they have been protected against COVID-19.
Even though most individuals infected with COVID-19 do not develop serious illness, they can still spread it to others through coughing or sneezing. To limit transmission of infection it is crucial that as few contact as possible is made between people.
CDC experts advise social distancing, or staying six feet away from other people in public spaces and maintaining that distance throughout the day, especially when in large crowds such as at a grocery store or party. This advice especially holds true when faced with intense situations such as grocery store or party attendance.
An important step to ensure good hygiene is keeping hands clean by washing them frequently, using antibacterial soaps, and wiping down surfaces you touch regularly with clean towels.
At places that may contain COVID-19 contaminants such as shopping malls and sporting events, such as malls and events where crowds congregate, it is recommended to wear a mask. Doing so offers greater protection from aerosol droplets which could quickly spread disease.
Specialized COVID-19 tests can also help identify potential cases. These are widely available at pharmacies and retail locations throughout the U.S.
Immediate Action Taken by Rajkot Authorities
As soon as they learned of the COVID-19 explosion in Rajkot, authorities took all available steps to ensure passenger safety. Samples were taken from all 125 passengers and sent off to hospitals to be tested for deadly infection.
However, some patients were unwilling to enter isolation wards of any city hospitals. Dr. Amarjit Singh announced that all positive patients will be transferred into isolation wards within hospitals in Amritsar.
On Wednesday afternoon at 1.30 PM local time (1.30 PM Milan time), an international charter flight from Italy with 125 passengers aboard arrived at Amritsar with the deadly disease and tested positive. They arrived at 5.45 AM Thursday morning when it landed at Amritsar airport.
Researchers discovered that out of the total 179 passengers on board, 125 tested positive for infection; these passengers originated from Italy which according to the Union health ministry is considered an “at risk” country.
As a preventive measure, all passengers flying from Italy were sent for testing to detect whether they had contracted the infection and instructed to stay away from anyone who might have been exposed.
While some are currently being treated in hospitals, others remain quarantined at home. The airline offered interim compensation of Rs1 Million to next-of-kin of deceased passengers aged 12 or above who died, Rs500,000 for those under 12, Rs200,000 for critically injured individuals, and Rs50 for all other victims.
Pathankot Air Force base has been on high alert since January 4, as terrorists were heavily armed and carrying six kg of RDX explosive, commonly used for terror attacks.
Pathankot was struck by its first major terrorist strike in five years on December 13, and this attack marked its worst attack ever in its region which shares an international border with Pakistan. The United Jihad Council, an umbrella group consisting of 13 Kashmiri militant groups, claimed responsibility for this atrocity.
Contact Tracing and Quarantine Measures
Contact tracing is an effective public health measure used to detect secondary cases and break transmission chains. It has proven its worth as part of de-escalation strategies in several Asian countries by successfully limiting new cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that those exposed to COVID-19 should be informed and carefully monitored so as to prevent symptoms or spreading it to others. This includes making regular contact and asking them for temperature checks or other tests; if no symptoms develop they should be isolated.
Successful case investigation and contact tracing programs require the participation of key public officials and community leaders who can support case investigators and contact tracers through public education, guidance, and understanding.
An effective contact tracing and isolation program should emphasize equity in order to lower the risk of COVID-19 resurgence among traditionally marginalized groups, such as Black, Latinx or Native American populations. Such populations require social support in order to safely quarantine themselves; an effective contact tracing program should ensure this support is identified at testing sites while resources are linked and made available throughout this process.
Care resource coordinators (CRCs) play an invaluable role in identifying social needs and supporting case investigators and contact tracers in screening for them and linking individuals with resources for long-term benefits such as housing, employment and medical support if required. CRCs facilitate warm handoffs between contacts who identify needs with resources available to meet them – these warm handoffs ensure smooth linkages. CRCs can also connect people who can offer long-term benefits like housing, employment or medical aid assistance if desired.
Social needs and determinants of health often stem from socio-economic or cultural influences that impact individual as well as population health outcomes, including food security, access to healthcare services, housing needs and job availability.
Once a person has been isolated or quarantined, it is vitally important that they receive support to meet their basic needs – food, shelter and clothing in particular – while in isolation or quarantine. This is especially essential when caring for elderly or those with special health needs which could make meeting these basic necessities more challenging; such people are at higher risk of not meeting themselves while in isolation or quarantine.
Precautions Against COVID-19
Though COVID-19 infection on an airplane flight is possible, you can reduce your risk by taking precautionary steps prior to and during travel. These include avoiding panic, keeping away from sick people, and frequently washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or more.
As well, whenever you are around ill people, a face mask should be worn to protect your airways from germs that could spread the virus to others. This will keep the infection under control and decrease risk.
Maintaining clean and disinfected environments at home and personal items is also key to avoiding viruses that could spread to others, like toilets, faucets, countertops, sinks doorknobs phones and any other surfaces that come into contact with multiple people. This includes toilets faucets countertops sinks doorknobs phones or any other surfaces commonly touched by multiple individuals.
If you want to avoid contracting COVID-19 virus while on vacation, make sure you read up on what each airline requires in terms of COVID-19 testing prior to booking your flight. This will give you a clear picture of what to expect should your flight be delayed or altered and may help set expectations about what awaits you if delays or itinerary changes arise.
Consider taking extra steps to guard yourself and your family against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated or testing for it, such as adding COVID-19 vaccination and testing into your travel plans and staying up-to-date on current medical information. Doing this could save lives – yours included.
Italy recently experienced its inaugural outbreak of Sars-CoV-2 since it first emerged in China last December, prompting Italy’s health ministry to order mandatory COVID-19 testing for passengers entering or transiting through Italy from China.
Italy had already experienced one COVID-19 outbreak that had created severe disruption for public health systems and economies alike. By taking these steps to protect itself from future outbreaks of the virus, Italy took an important step toward protecting itself against another devastating outbreak of this strain of virus.
Italy was at the epicenter of COVID-19’s initial outbreak in Europe during its initial outbreak in 2020, leading to 3089 cases and 109 deaths.
Though most European countries have opened their borders and resumed flights to select locations both within Europe and internationally, traveling may still not be safe. Travelers should become acquainted with country-by-country COVID-19 restrictions and requirements before planning any journeys.
