nCov scare: Medical teams at Midnapore station to screen Urs pilgrims from abroad

 A special medical team has been deployed to screen pilgrims arriving in this West Bengal town from countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to take part in the annual Urs festival, amid the scare of novel coronavirus, officials said on Tuesday.

READ: Singapore Airlines To Cut Flights As Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Demand

Lakhs of Bengali-speaking Muslims from across India and several countries in the region have been coming to the Midnapore town in West Midnapore district to offer flowers, 'chaddar' and itr to the shrine of saint Syed Shah Mehr Ali Alquadri Al Baghdadi on the occasion for over a hundred years.

This year marks the 119th anniversary of the Urs. A train carrying 2,321 pilgrims from Dhaka in Bangladesh arrived here on Monday. Among the passengers, 994 were female and 106 children. A district official said adequate police arrangements have been made for the Urs festival and to facilitate the pilgrims.

Medical teams have also been deployed to screen people arriving here from foreign countries amid the scare of novel coronavirus, he said. The teams have been deputed at the Midnapore railway station to screen the pilgrims for symptoms of the disease and only after that they are being allowed to enter the town, the official said. The Urs, which began on Monday, will continue till Wednesday.

READ: China: Gym Instructors Livestream Their Workout Amid Coronavirus Outbreak