The health Ministry has confirmed that the tourist who flew in from Italy has tested positive for coronavirus in Jaipur taking the toll to three. The deadly coronavirus has claimed six lives in the US. The outbreak of COVID-19, with its epicentre in China's Wuhan, continues to spread to across countries around the world. The World Health Organization has urged countries to gear up containment measures to control the spread of infection. Two fresh cases of COVID-19 were detected in India: one in New Delhi and the other in Telangana.
The Health Ministry shared the details of it through a tweet. The patient in Delhi had travelled from Italy. The other person who tested positive in Telangana had travelled from Dubai. Both the patients are under close observation, the health ministry said.
Coronavirus cases are increasing throughout the world with more than 88,000 people across the globe infected with the virus so far. Over 3,000 people have been killed by the virus.
Here are the LIVE updates on the spread of Coronavirus in India:
An Indian couple, working on a Singaporean cargo ship, was admitted to a hospital in Odisha after the man developed mild fever upon arrival at Paradip port from China today, official sources said. The authorities of the Paradip port referred the couple from Uttar Pradesh to the SCB Medical College Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack after screening them. The cargo ship with 23 crew members, including the couple, started their voyage from China on February 15 and arrived at Paradip Port on March 1. The ship also travelled to South Korea and Singapore en route. It was found during a medical checkup that the man had developed mild fever, said Port Hospital's chief medical officer Prahallad Panda. Since the ship travelled through some countries hit by the deadly novel coronavirus, the couple has been referred to the SCBMCH, he said. "Before shifting them to the SCBMCH, the man and his wife had been quarantined in the ship itself," he said. Though none of the other 21 crew members showed any symptoms of the disease during tests, they have been told not to disembark from the ship, Mr Panda said.
The Haryana Police on Tuesday directed its field units to take immediate action to safeguard on-duty personnel from potential coronavirus infection by providing them with masks, gloves and hand sanitisers. In an official communication, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said all police personnel who come in close contact with others during frisking, interacting, crowd control, access control, traffic duties are at risk of exposure. They need to be protected by equipping them appropriately with masks, gloves and hand sanitisers, he said. Mr Virk said all men may be briefed properly on coronavirus without causing alarm. He directed the officials to assess the requirement of police personnel for masks, gloves and hand sanitisers. The officials have been asked to ensure strict compliance to the directions.
Four IndiGo crew members, who flew on the Dubai-Bengaluru flight on February 20 along with a coronavirus-infected Hyderabad techie, have been put under observation at home since March 2, the airline said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said there is "no need to panic" as a renewed coronavirus scare gripped the country today after two new cases were confirmed over the last 48 hours. One case was reported from Noida near Delhi and the other is that of a Bengaluru-based techie who had travelled to Hyderabad. Worldwide the coronavirus outbreak has killed over 3,000 people and infected nearly 90,000 others since it began in China's Wuhan district in December last year. The government has suspended all regular visas granted to nationals of four nations including South Korea, which has recorded the highest number of fatalities outside of mainland China. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has held an emergency meet with Health Minister Satyender Jain to take stock of the situation in the national capital, where six more people are under observation.
The CISF has provided medical kits containing hand sanitisers, gloves and masks to all its personnel deployed to guard 62 civil airports in the country in view of the coronavirus scare, officials said on Tuesday. Since the CRPF have close physical interaction with the outgoing and incoming passengers by way of frisking and talking to them, it has been ordered that the medical kit be stocked and used at all international and domestic airports under the force's security cover. All the airports have been provided alcohol-based sanitiser bottles, hand gloves and face masks of the normal and N95 variety for use by our personnel, a senior CISF official said, reported PTI.
Amid the growing coronavirus scare, Indian Railways has geared up to tackle the situation as it has dedicated a ward specially for clinically suspected cases at the Northern Railway Central Hospital in the national capital. Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said that to counter the emerging threat of coronavirus, Northern Railway Central Hospital has geared up to tackle the situation. "One dedicated ward for clinically suspected cases has been established at Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi with personnel protective disposable dress for both paramedics and patients," he said. He also said that people will be educated about the symptoms of coronavirus and if anyone displays the symptoms, he or she may immediately contact the nearest health unit or hospital, reported IANS.
A day after two fresh cases of coronavirus were reported in India, the Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday conducted a meeting with all airport officials to review and guide the preparations to prevent the spread of the infection in the country, reported PTI.
"Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA & Shri Arvind Singh, Chairman, AAI conducted a video conference with all the airports to review & guide the preparations to take effective steps for preventing the spread of COVID-19," the ministry stated in its tweet.
Airports and airlines have been advised to comply with the travel advisory issued for passengers by the Bureau of Immigration, it added.Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA & Shri Arvind Singh, Chairman, @AAI_Official conducted a video conference with all the airports to review & guide the preparations to take effective steps for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
- Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) March 3, 2020
Hotels and the authorities at tourist sites in Agra have been told to inform the office of the chief medical officer as soon as visitors from Italy, Iran or China arrive, so that they can be screened for coronavirus, an official said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Lucknow, samples of an Uttar Pradesh residents who had returned from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning have been sent for testing. He will be quarantined for 14 days in the hospital.
As soon as any information is received, a team of doctors will be dispatched to examine the visitors for symptoms of COVID-19, Agra Chief Medical Officer Dr Mukesh Vats told PTI.
"We have issued instructions to all hotels in the city that if any person is coming from Italy, Iran or China, they should inform us," he said.
Authorities at all tourist sites in Agra have been told to "inform the 24-hour control room about visitors from the countries where the coronavirus outbreak has been reported," Dr Vats said.
Raising concerns over the detection of fresh coronavirus cases in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said a "true leader" would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on the country and its economy.
Mr Gandhi's remarks come after India reported two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including one from the national capital, on Monday.
There are moments in the life of every nation when its leaders are tested. A true leader would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on India and its economy. #coronavirusindia https://t.co/SuEvqMFbQd
- Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 3, 2020
There is no need to panic. We need to work together, take small yet important measures to ensure self-protection. pic.twitter.com/sRRPQlMdtr
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2020
There are moments in the life of every nation when its leaders are tested. A true leader would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on India and its economy. #coronavirusindia https://t.co/SuEvqMFbQd
- Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 3, 2020
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an urgent meeting with Health Minister Satyendar Jain and other officials to take stock of the government's preparedness to deal with coronavirus. (PTI)
Two private schools in Noida cancelled classes on Tuesday for the next few days as a precautionary measure after the father of a student tested positive for coronavirus, officials said. The two schools announced their closure in messages sent to the parents, a day after the Union Health Ministry reported two fresh cases of coronavirus - one of them in Delhi. One of the schools, where the Delhi man's son is a primary class student, said it will remain shut from March 4 to March 6. The second school said it is suspending classes from now to March 9 and sanitising its campus. Fumigation was underway at both schools, reported PTI.
In Delhi, a 45-year-old is the first to be detected with novel coronavirus. His child studies at a Noida school which has cancelled internal exams for high school students as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of virus. The school premises are being sanitised by the local health authorities after there was a sense of panic because the man's two children had come in contact with five people at a birthday party in Noida over the weekend.