INFORMATION NOTE ON CORONAVIRUS

Detection, control and surveillance of communicable diseases at the international ports and airports is carried out by the General Directorate of Health for Borders and Coasts of Türkiye through Health Surveillance Centers at the ports/airports. The relevant measures have been taken concerning the coronavirus (2019-nCov) at all our international ports and airports.

Health Surveillance Centers of the General Directorate of Health for Borders and Coastshave the following tasks:

-
At the airports, if there is a boarder with any clinical symptom of the disease (fever, respiratory disorders, etc.) on the place departed from China, the relevant airlines inform our Health Surveillance Centers that are available 7/24. Physicians and other healthcare professionals working at the Center go to the plane for health scanning after which the person/persons – if classified as probable case – are transferred to the reference hospitals in specially equipped ambulances according to public health emergency plans.

-Boarders were checked with thermal cameras on the flight from the city of Wuhan, China on 22.01.2020 and no case was identified.

-As of 24.01.2020, thermal imaging has been started at Istanbul Airport for all flights from China. As of 24.01.2020, no possible cases were detected during the arrival checks on flights arriving to Türkiye from China.

-In case of possible case detection; Health Surveillance Centers take action in line with Public Health Emergency Plans at International Entry Points. In this regard, possible cases will be transferred to pre-determined reference hospitals with specially equipped ambulances.

-At our ports; Marine Health Reports received from the ships are evaluated and if there is a suspicious case in the ships arriving from the affected area (People's Republic of China) in the last 30 (thirty) days, if a possible case is detected by the personnel of the Coastal Health Inspection Center who go to the ship before the ship approaches the port, Health Surveillance Centers take action in line with the Public Health Emergency Plans. In this regard, possible cases will be transferred to pre-determined reference hospitals with specially equipped ambulances.

-In the event that possible cases are detected, the international vehicle (aircraft, ship) is disinfected.

Health measures to be applied at the entrance of the airports and border crossings of foreign travelers from China to Türkiye are as follows:

For all flights from China, it is required to:

a) Ask passengers with symptoms of disease to submit a health report, before the flight, confirming that they can take the flight;

b) In the case of passengers showing signs of disease during the flight, infectious disease control measures are to be taken by the cabin staff and the tower is to be informed by the pilot and the tower is to be reported to the airport health surveillance center / airport operation center;

c) Fill the Passenger Contact Information Form during the flight, ensure the delivery of the form to the cabin crew, and ensure that it is delivered by the cabin crew to the healthcare personnel together with GEN-DEC (General Declaration of Aviation);

d) Make informatory announces in Turkish, English and Chinese during the flight in order to make sure that those with the symptoms introduce themselves to the cabin crew; and to state during the announcements that "if they get sick while in Türkiye, they should inform their country representatives saying that they come from the region of the outbreak before they apply to the health care center” and that the Turkish citizens should

directly call 112 emergency center;

e) Ensure that the incoming flights to Istanbul coming from China and other regions where infection is common land at a certain gate

f) Direct all passengers to the Health Surveillance Center at the airport to make sure that each passenger passes through the thermal imaging camera for fever detection;

g) Transfer passengers with fever and also having symptoms of acute respiratory infection to the hospital by the 112 Emergency Health Services, to record contact information and obtaining swabs of those who do not have any sign of infection, and to provide them with information;

h) Inform the personnel who will come closer than 1 m with the passengers coming from

China about wearing glasses and surgical masks. In case the patient who meets the possible case definition is detected on the plane;

- The case is reported to the tower by the pilot.

- The case is reported to the airport health surveillance center / airport operation center by the tower.

- All passengers fill in a passenger contact information card.

- Information about the passengers on two front, two back and two side seats is received.

- The Health Surveillance Center evaluates the case on the plane.

- Health Surveillance Center provides information to Provincial Health Directorate and 112 Command Centers.

- If the patient who meets the possible case definition is detected at the airport;

- The reported case is evaluated by the staff of Health Surveillance Center.

- The Health Surveillance Center provides information to the Provincial Health

Directorate and 112 command centers.

- After the Health Surveillance Center evaluates the case, it delivers the case to 112 with a possible case form.