Pune Woman With No Foreign Travel Link Tests Positive For Coronavirus

A woman in her early 40s has tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra's Pune, a senior official said on Saturday.

The woman, who is currently on ventilator support at Bharti Hospital, had not travelled to a foreign country, neither did any of her family members. However, she had attended a wedding in Navi Mumbai's Vashi on March 3, he said.

She was initially admitted to a local hospital for pneumonia and her samples were sent for H1N1 testing which was apparently tested negative.

"We are investigating the case. Although she tested positive for COVID-19, she does not have a history of travel abroad. She must have come in contact with someone who had foreign travel history," District Collector Naval Kishore Ram told news agency PTI.

Details of her cab journey to Mumbai are being probed, he said. "There are separate guidelines to deal with such cases," he added.

The woman's case has been referred to higher authorities for further investigation, he said.

Earlier, a 25-year-old man who had recently travelled to Ireland tested positive in Pune on Friday, an official said.

The man was admitted to Naidu Hospital on Friday and his swab samples came out positive later in the evening, he said.

Coronavirus cases in India rose to 283 on Saturday, including four who have died, after 47 people tested positive in the global pandemic in various parts of the country, the Health Ministry said, in line with the sharp spike seen on Friday.

People braced for the one day "Janata Curfew" on Sunday from 7 am and 9 pm, widely seen as a pilot for a broader lockdown that can be imposed if the spread continues unabated.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 63, including three foreigners. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope made a fresh appeal to avoid public transport to contain the spread and warned of tougher measures, having already asked offices and shops to close.