News Coronavirus in Italy

Wuhan virus: Rome airport steps up screening

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

23 Jan, 2020

202 passengers from Wuhan land in Rome airport.

Rome's Fiumicino airport has created a special 'sanitary corridor' for passengers arriving from the Chinese region of Wuhan, the epicentre of an outbreak of a fatal virus which so far has killed 17 people and spread to six other countries.

The 202 passengers and crew aboard a China Southern Airlines flight which landed in Rome at 04.50 on 23 January, direct from Wuhan, were channeled through the special corridor - away from other passengers - where they were screened for symptoms of the deadly virus. No suspected cases were found.

The controls, which include scans to check body temperature, are part of strict measures ordered by Italian health authorities to prevent possible contagion of the fatal coronavirus.

Rome's Spallanzani Hospital, which specialises in treating infectious diseases, is on standby should airport medics detect a suspected case of Wuhan virus, Italy's health ministry has confirmed.

Fiumicino has three direct flights from Wuhan each week, as well as many non-direct flights.

Photo La Repubblica