The number of COVID-19 cases in India rose to 315 on Saturday.
New Delhi:
The number of coronavirus or COVID-19 cases in India crossed 300 last night in the biggest jump the country has seen so far in its fight against the highly contagious virus. There are 315 active coronavirus cases, officials said on Sunday, on a day millions across India observed a 14-hour self-quarantine or "Janata Curfew" recommended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks a jump of 79 from the previous total. The health ministry said as of 10.45 pm on Saturday, of the 315 cases, 22 had been cured of the virus. Four have died in India of coronavirus, which has globally infected more than 300,000 people and left some 13,000 dead.
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The government has advised states to enforce social distancing and has suggested shutting down all educational institutions, gymnasiums, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres till March 31.
Rajasthan last night ordered a "full shutdown" until March 31, suspending all public transport and closing malls and shops. The state says food packets and wheat will be distributed among the poor. Punjab had also shut down public transport earlier.
Many states have suspended bus operations to prevent an exodus of daily wage earners from cities to villages. PM Modi tweeted yesterday: "Many of my brothers and sisters are leaving the city where they earn a living and returning to their villages. Travelling in a crowd increases the risk of COVID19 infection. Wherever you're going, it'll pose danger to people there too. It will increase difficulties for them."
To check the virus, Jharkhand has written to the Railway Board asking that trains be stopped from entering the state till March 31.
Gujarat has announced a lockdown for four cities, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara, until Wednesday. Only shops selling essentials like vegetables, dairy products, and medical items will remain open.
Goa, one of India's most popular holiday destinations, has shut down its borders to mass passengers and tourist vehicles. In Delhi, metros are not running today for the Janata Curfew. Officials say metro services will also be largely closed on Monday except for a few hours to push social distancing.
International flights are banned for a week and many airlines have talked about reducing flights. Railways has cancelled more than 3,000 trains and relaxed refund rules. This, after reports of infected passengers traveling on trains. A couple was pulled off a Delhi-bound Rajdhani train on Saturday after co-passengers noticed a home quarantine seal on the man's hand.
Across the country, famous temples like the Tirumala and tourist spots like Taj Mahal have shut down to prevent crowds, which could escalate the virus transmission.
Maharashtra has the highest number of cases, 63 including three foreigners, followed by Kerala at 40, including seven foreign nationals. Delhi has reported 27 positive cases, which include one foreigner. Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner.
Telangana has reported 21 cases, including 11 foreigners. Rajasthan has reported 17 cases, including two foreigners. In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners. Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. Punjab and Ladakh have 13 cases each. Gujarat has seven cases while Jammu and Kashmir has four. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have reported three cases each. Odisha has two cases. Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh have reported a case each.
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