Passengers at Italy's ports and airports are being monitored for the deadly coronavirus, the health ministry said Wednesday after health minister Roberto Speranza chaired a meeting of a task force set up to tackle the deadly disease.
"Checks of passengers using a thermoscanner are being carried out on all passengers arriving at ports and airports, in coordination with Italy's civil protection service," said the statement.
Italian authorities are also tracking calls to a special coronavirus helpline, the statement added.
There have been two confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Italy, which has claimed over 490 lives and infected over 24,300 people in China since mid-December with cases reported in 25 other countries.
Italy last week halted commercial flights to and from China and repatriated 56 citizens from the city of Wuhan - believed to be the epicentre of the virus. It also allocated five million euros to the crisis.
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