Mpox: Prithviraj Chavan demands strict testing, quarantine protocol at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and demanded a strict testing and quarantine protocol at the Mumbai airport in view of the Monkeypox concerns.

The World Health Organisation has declared Monkeypox a public health emergency, and the virus has now reached Pakistan, he said, urging the government to take proactive steps to prevent its spread in India.

"It has reached our neighbourhood. We have to act. I have written to the CM to implement a strict testing and quarantine protocol at the Mumbai airport for all the incoming passengers from high-risk countries," Chavan, a former chief minister, wrote on X.

Timely action was necessary as any delay could lead to severe consequences, he warned.

Earlier in the day, the Union health ministry said there were no reported cases of Monkeypox in India even though cautionary measures will be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

Though the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks was not ruled out, risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low for India at present, it said.