The state government has asked health officials to remain alert after the Centre issued guidelines to prevent spreading of the Novel Coronavirus.

According to a senior official of the state health department, the directive sent by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on preventing the spreading of the 'China virus' has been forwarded to the districts and doctors have been asked to be ready to deal with any emergent situation. "We are at the moment preparing a policy specifically for our state. We have forwarded the directive sent by the central government to all the districts," the official said.

The Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital and BG Hospital are being readied in this connection, he added. Senior officials of the state health department also held a meeting during the day on the issue. "Today's meeting was held to check our preparedness to counter the Coronavirus. We have alerted our doctors and are trying to frame a policy quickly to handle the situation in emergency cases," he said. The Centre has recently listed steps to prevent the spreading of the Novel Coronovirus, following reports of 41 such cases in China.