Seventeen Chinese sailors who remained stuck for three days in a ship docked at Sitakunda left Chattogram for Thailand on Wednesday morning. The health department said there nothing suspicious like Coronavirus was found in the body of these Chinese sailors on examination.
According to the department, a total of 798 sailors who came to Chattogram port since February 1 have been tested so far. Dr Motahar Hossain, Health Officer of Chattogram Divisional Health Department, said, “The sailors were examined on February 8, after reaching Bangladesh’s maritime territory and certified as coronavirus free.”
Sailors of all the ships coming from China are being examined. Other sailors are also being examined in Chattogram port, he added. Earlier on Tuesday, Chinese Embassy in Dhaka through a facebook post thanked the efforts by ‘esteemed Foreign Ministry’ for facilitating return of those Chinese sailors.
In the facebook post, Yan Hualong, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, said, “The 17 Chinese sailors stranded on ship at Chattogram coast will land this morning and fly back tonight to their home thanks to efforts by the esteemed Foreign Ministry and other authorities of Bangladesh after the Embassy's intervene.”
He also thanked FM Borhan Uddin, director general (East Asia & Asia Pacific) of the Foreign Ministry, for his prompt action and valuable assistance. Government has formed and deployed seven specialized medical team in Chattogram Sea Port and Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport. Of those, four teams are working in the seaport and other are also working in the airport.
Dr Motahar Hossain said the teams are following the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation after Coronavirus outbreak in China. “Until now, there is nothing alarming in Bangladesh, but our preparation also is not up to the mark regarding the risk the virus poses,” Dr Motahar added.
Earlier, Bangladesh government suspended on-arrival visa facilities to Chinese citizens following coronavirus outbreak. The sailors of the 9,000-mt Uni Harvest, a scrap cargo ship of Japan arrived from China's Weifang Port arrived on February 7 this year.
