Plane from Iran Diverted to Ankara, Passengers Quarantined on Suspicion of Coronavirus

Source and photo: AA

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A plane from Iran has diverted from Istanbul, its destination, to land in Ankara, Turkey's capital, due to the presence of 17 people possibly infected with coronavirus on board.

The Turkish Airlines (THY) flight from Tehran, with 132 passengers on board, landed at Ankara's Esenboga Airport Tuesday at 10.29 a.m. (07.29 GMT), said correspondents on the ground.

Passengers from the flight have been taken in for preliminary health exams by officials from Ankara Health Directorate and the Ministry of Health.

The 17 passengers are being treated as possible cases as they have higher-than-normal temperatures.

Citizens returning from Iran will be quarantined

Turkey will also quarantine for 14 days its citizens returning from Iran amid coronavirus fears, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca said.

Koca said a total of 132 citizens of Turkey, who landed in the capital Ankara from Iran on Tuesday, have been quarantined and they will remain in a hospital for 14 days.

He said all citizens of Turkey who want to return from Iran will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.

"No coronavirus cases were found in Turkey," the minister said, adding maximum efforts are being made to prevent the spread of coronavirus to the country.

Iran has so far reported 14 deaths from the coronavirus, with 95 confirmed cases.

Turkey to date has no reported cases of coronavirus.

Turkish Airlines had reduced the number of daily trips to Tehran to two, and restricted return flights to citizens of Turkey only. Turkey has also closed its land borders and railway service with Iran.

Virus spread to more than 25 countries

In China, the epicenter of the virus, the death toll from the outbreak reached 2,663 today (February 25), with nearly 76,700 confirmed cases.

The coronavirus has spread to more than 25 other countries including the US, the UK, Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. (PT/VK)