Dubai & Abu Dhabi Airports will screen passengers arriving from China for Coronavirus

Airports are adding passenger screenings and taking other precautions to prevent coronavirus from being spread by Chinese tourists going abroad for the Lunar New Year holidays.

Those new measures have taken place after China has imposed an unprecedented shutdown of Wuhan and similar measures in nearby cities to prevent the spread of coronavirus that has infected hundreds. A scattered number of cases have been confirmed in other countries, mainly in Asia, that were quick to screen travelers and isolate anyone with similar symptoms to limit the spread of the virus.

Still, there are fears the virus could spread further during the travel and festivities that accompany Lunar New Year. Chinese are expected to take an estimated 3 billion trips during the 40-day spike in travel. Precautions have taken place at Dubai International Airport with thermal screening of passengers arriving on direct flights from China. The screenings are conducted at secured, closed gates by teams from the Dubai Health Authority and the Airport Medical Center. The airport authority would not say whether it expected a drop in passengers from China for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Abu Dhabi International Airport also started a screening process for all passengers arriving from China.