The Ministry of Tourism has asserted that preventative measures have been taken against the predicted outbreak of a new strand of coronavirus spreading through China.

The ministry made the reveal via a press statement, which assures the public that all preventative measures against the spread of the life-threatening disease have been taken with the joint efforts from relevant authorities.

As such, the ministry has made the required arrangements to ensure the protection of tourists arriving in the Maldives as well.

Confirming that no cases have been reported thus far, the ministry also revealed that work is underway to begin screening tourists arriving through Velana International Airport.

Going on to assure that the government prioritizes the safety and security of the people from such diseases, the ministry gave its 100 percent that all the required measures will be taken to prevent the disease from surfacing.

Earlier this week, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China has been linked to a novel coronavirus, which consecutively resulted in over 140 cases and a few fatalities since the epidemic began in December 2019.

The statement goes on to reveal the likelihood of infection through processed food from food handlers and market workers, with reports having attributed the outbreak to the country’s seafood and animal markets. While preparations are underway on the recommendations from World Health Organization (WHO), Maldivians travelling to China are advised to take precautionary measures like avoiding animals, dead or alive, animal markets and even coming in contact with infected people.

While regularly hand-washing has also been pushed, some of the symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.