Coronavirus outbreak: There have been more than 1 lakh cases recorded in 95 countries and territories.
Five of a family in Kerala have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the country to 39. The three members of the family had recently visited Italy, one of the nations that reported the most cases of coronavirus.
"5 new positive cases of coronavirus have been admitted in the isolation wards here. Three people recently returned from Italy due to which two more got the disease here in Pathanamthitta district," said Kerala's Health Minister KK Shailaja.
All the five have been isolated in Pathnamathitta general hospital and are under observation. Their tests were confirmed on last night.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs) to foreigners to check the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Sunday.
The foreigners will require PAPs to enter the state that shares a border with China.
Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar directed all PAP issuing authorities to suspend the issue of permits till further orders, they said.
There have been more than 1 lakh cases recorded in 95 countries and territories with 3,515 deaths.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Outbreak:
Bangladesh confirms first three cases
Bangladesh confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus in the country, a senior health official said.
Delhi buses, metro to be disinfected on regular basis: Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi government has ordered DTC and cluster buses, metro and hospitals to be disinfected on a regular basis as a precautionary measure to deal with the novel coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said
Iran Air says suspending Europe flights until further notice
Iran Air announced on Sunday the suspension of all its flights to Europe until further notice.
The national carrier said in a statement that the decision was taken due to "restrictions" imposed by European authorities for "unknown reasons".
Iran's health ministry on Sunday reported 49 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the Islamic republic.
Saudi Arabia reports four new cases
Saudi Arabia's authorities recorded four news cases of the coronavirus, taking the total of infections to 11, the kingdom's health ministry said on Twitter.
China To Donate $20 Million To WHO To Fight Coronavirus
AIIMS Asked To Designate Part Of New Emergency Wing For Setting Isolation BedsAugmenting facilities to deal with novel coronavirus, the Union Health Ministry has asked the AIIMS administration to designate a part of the new emergency wing of its Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre for setting up of isolation beds for suspected COVID-19 patients.
This isolation facility will have a capacity to hold about 20 patients at a given point of time and once confirmed to be positive, the patient concerned will be transferred to NCI Jajhar for treatment, official sources said.
A separate entry gate has been delineated which will receive patients from the ambulance bay. Based on the history and severity, patients will be triaged as Red, Yellow or Green case.
Besides, the Ministry has asked the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Jhajjar to augment its isolation bed capacity to 125 from the existing 25, news agency PTI reported.
Attukal Pongala Will Go Ahead On Monday: Kerala Health MinisterEven with five new coronavirus cases being reported in Kerala, State Health Minister KK Shailaja on Sunday said that the famed Attukal Pongala temple festival will be held on Monday as per tradition.
The temple, located in the heart of the city, is dedicated to Attukal Bhagavathi, believed to be an incarnation of Kannaki, the central character of the Tamil epic "Silappathikaaram".
The Pongala cooking takes place on the penultimate day of the 10-day-long Attukal festival and is done by the women by sitting on the road that starts from the temple and extends to all other parts of the city.
"We cannot stop this festival being held. So we have decided to tell women that anyone who has recently come from any of the coronavirus-hit countries and those who have fever or cold, should stay away from the festival. They can do it from their homes or at the hotels that they stay," said Ms Shailaja, news agency IANS reported.
Australian Newspaper Prints Blank Pages Amid Toilet Paper EmergencyAn Australian newspaper has recently printed extra pages to be used as toilet paper after coronavirus fears triggered panic among customers prompting them to bulk buy supplies, leaving some supermarket shelves bare.
The Twitter handle of the newspaper @TheNTNews posted a video with the caption, "Yes, we actually did it #toiletpapercrisis."
The paper NT News's front page also post a message which reads, "We've printed an eight-page special lift-out inside, complete with handy cut lines, for you to use in an emergency."
As the post went viral, Twitterati have flooded the social media with their reactions, news agency IANS reported. Read
here.
"Appeal to people in Delhi if anybody from your neighbourhood returned from foreign in past 14 days, please inform government," said Delhi Chie Minister Arvind Kejriwal, news agency PTI reported.
Holi Celebrations Cancelled In Dubai Due To CoronavirusHindu temples in Dubai have cancelled the upcoming Holi celebrations and advised against playing with colours to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, it was reported.
This is in addition to other preventive measures such as reduction in prayer times and providing sanitisers as part of preventive measures to protect the devotees and the larger community, the managements of both Shiva and Krishna temples told Gulf News on Saturday, news agency IANS reported. Read
here.
Coronavirus-Hit Ship To Dock As New York Declares Health EmergencyA US cruise ship hit by coronavirus was given permission to dock late Saturday, while New York announced a state of emergency as confirmed cases across the country surged past 400.
The fast-spreading virus has already spread to 30 US states, killing at least 19 people, while the American capital announced its first case Saturday and citizens were coming to terms with public events being canceled across the country.
The Grand Princess cruise ship has recorded 21 COVID-19 infections on board -- 19 crew and two American passengers -- out of 45 people tested.
Authorities ordered the vessel to remain at sea off the coast of San Francisco, where it was due to dock Saturday following a 14-day trip to Hawaii, after it emerged that a passenger on a previous voyage had contracted the virus and later died.
The vessel will instead go to nearby Oakland on Monday and begin disembarking passengers in need of "acute medical treatment," vessel owner Princess Cruises said in a statement, news agency AFP reported.
Arunachal Pradesh Bans Entry Of Foreigners Amid Coronavirus ScareThe Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs) to foreigners to check the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Sunday.
Foreigners require PAPs to enter the state that shares a border with China.
Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar directed all PAP issuing authorities to suspend the issue of permits till further orders, they said.
"It is learnt that COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in India and the numbers have been increasing. It is also learnt that the spread of the coronavirus in India is primarily from visitors who had history of travelling abroad recently or through tourists who have visited India," the government order said.
"In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Arunachal Pradesh, it has been decided to temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permit (PAP)...," it added, news agency PTI reported.
Mayor In Coronavirus-Hit South Korean City Says Outbreak May Be SlowingThe mayor of the South Korean city hardest hit by that country's coronavirus outbreak expressed cautious hope on Sunday that the numbers of new cases may be dropping, after the rate of increase dropped to its lowest level in 10 days.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 93 new coronavirus cases from late Saturday through Sunday morning, for a total of 7,134 in the country.
The increase in cases was lower than the same period a day before, though health officials have warned that numbers could fluctuate as more tests are processed. In the city of Daegu, which accounts for as much as 75% of all of South Korea's confirmed cases, mayor Kwon Young-jin told reporters that the number of new cases in the city has dropped to below 300 for the first time since February 29, news agency Reuters reported quoting local media.
Coronavirus: Uttarakhand Health Department Suggests Closure Of SchoolsIn the wake of coronavirus outbreak, Uttarakhand Health Department has suggested closure of schools in the state.
"The Health Department has suggested that schools in the state be closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The directive for the same is expected to be issued after the Holi festival," sources added.
Moreover, the use of biometric attendance in offices has been stopped immediately in the state, sources added.
India has 39 confirmed cases of deadly coronavirus. The disease has caused deaths of 3200 persons globally, news agency ANI reported.
Italy Closes Cinemas, Theatres, Museums Nationwide In Coronavirus LockdownItaly has closed museums, theatres, cinemas and other entertainment venues nationwide to fight the spread of the coronavirus, said a decree signed Sunday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
On top of the forced quarantine of 15 million people in vast areas of northern Italy until April 3, the government has also closed schools, nightclubs and casinos throughout the country, according to the text of the decree published on the government website.
With more than 230 fatalities, Italy has recorded the most deaths from the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak began in December, news agency AFP reported.
5 Of Family In Kerala Get Coronavirus, 39 Total Positive Cases In India5 people of a family in Kerala have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, taking the number of cases in India rise to 39.
Attendee At Political Summit Featuring Trump Infected With CoronavirusA person who attended a gathering of top US political conservatives including US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Saturday.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives, attracting thousands, and in addition to Trump and Pence the February 26-29 event near Washington also featured several cabinet members and top White House officials.
"The exposure occurred previous to the conference. A New Jersey hospital tested the person, and CDC confirmed the positive result," the event's organizer American Conservative Union (ACU) tweeted, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news agency AFP reported. Read
here.
"Not Concerned At All": Trump On Coronavirus Spread Near White HouseUS President Donald Trump signaled Saturday that he has no intention of halting campaign rallies despite surging coronavirus infections, as a case was confirmed for the first time within miles of the White House.
The president struck a defiant tone as he spoke to reporters about the outbreak at his Mar a Lago resort in southern Florida, where he was hosting his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.
"We will have tremendous rallies and we're doing very well, and we've done a fantastic job with respect to that subject," Trump responded when asked if his "Keep America Great" campaign events would continue.
Trump's remarks came as the number of cases confirmed across the United States leapt past 400, with 19 deaths confirmed so far, mainly in the west coast state of Washington.
Asked if he was concerned that the virus had spread to within a few miles of the White House, Trump replied, "No, I'm not concerned at all," news agency AFP reported.
Health Ministry Releases Helpline Number For Coronavirus
10 Killed After Hotel Used For Coronavirus Quarantine Collapses In China
At least ten people were killed in the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China, authorities said Sunday.
Rescuers retrieved 48 people from the rubble, of whom 38 are still alive, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on social media.
Italy Puts Large Parts Of North Under QuarantineMillions of people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Twitter he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement into and out of large areas of the north, including Milan and Venice.
"#Coronavirus, the new decree is finally approved," Mr Conte wrote, news agency AFP reported.
WHO Calls For Robust Measures To Contain Coronavirus SpreadThe World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that the spread of COVID-19 can be significantly slowed or even reversed through implementing robust containment and control activities as the number of cases worldwide has surpassed 1,00,000.
China and other countries are demonstrating that the spread of the virus can be slowed and impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, WHO said in a statement, referring to measures such as working across society to identify people who are sick, bringing them to care, following up on contacts, preparing hospitals and clinics to manage a surge in patients, and training health workers, the Xinhua news agency reported.
It underlined that containing and slowing the spread of the virus helps buy time for health systems and all of society to prepare and for researchers to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines.
"Allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any government, as it will harm not only the citizens of that country but affect other countries as well," it said.
The WHO said it will continue to work with all countries, partners and expert networks to coordinate the international response, develop guidance, distribute supplies, share knowledge and provide people with the information so as to protect themselves and others.
According to WHO's daily COVID-19 situation report, as of 10:00 am CET on Saturday, there has been 101,927 confirmed cases reported worldwide and 3,486 deaths, news agency IANS reported.
Nearly 20 Trapped In China's "Coronavirus Quarantine" Hotel CollapseRescuers are searching for 19 people who remain trapped in rubble following the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China on Saturday, state media reported.
A total of 48 people have been rescued out of the 67 initially trapped when the building first crumbled, state broadcaster CCTV said Sunday, news agency AFP reported. Read
here.
Over 40 Rescued After China's "Coronavirus Quarantine" Hotel CollapsesMore than 40 people have been rescued following the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China on Saturday, state media reported.
Officials said around 70 people were initially trapped when the building first crumbled.
Footage circulating on microblogging platform Weibo showed rescue workers combing through the rubble of the 80-room Xinjia hotel in coastal Quanzhou city in the dark as they reassured a woman trapped under heavy debris and carried wounded victims into ambulances.
A total of 43 people have so far been rescued from the wreckage, news agency AFP reported quoting local news agency. Read
here.
Coronavirus Deaths Rise To 19 In US, New York Declares State Of EmergencyTwo more people succumbed to the novel coronavirus in Washington state, officials said on Saturday, bringing the nationwide total to 19, while the number of confirmed cases in New York rose to 89 and a cruise ship with infected passengers remained stranded outside San Francisco.
More than half of all US states have reported cases of the coronavirus, which originated in China last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19, news agency Reuters reported.
Maldives Reports First Two Coronavirus Cases; Two Islands Under LockdownThe Maldives on Saturday reported its first two confirmed cases of new coronavirus, and placed two of its island resorts under lockdown, as authorities conducted further tests to try to limit the spread of the disease. The two infected people are believed to have caught the disease from an Italian tourist who has returned to Italy and tested positive there.
"These two cases which tested positive are from a resort. They are employees of the resort and are now quarantined," said Ali Waheed, the tourism minister of the island nation, the economy of which is heavily dependent on foreign tourists.
In a press release earlier on Saturday, the Maldives Health Protection Agency said two French nationals on a second island who showed symptoms of the disease had also been placed in isolation on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported.
China Reports 27 New Coronavirus Deaths, Total Now At 3,097China on Sunday reported 27 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the nationwide total to 3,097.
There were 44 new cases of the infection, most in the virus epicentre of Wuhan, which also accounted for all of the deaths, according to the National Health Commission.
Only three cases, all imported from abroad, were reported outside of Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, in Beijing and the northwest province of Gansu.
New infections reported from Hubei have been on a downward trend for several weeks and at 41, the number of new cases is the lowest since quarantine measures were imposed on the province in late January, news agency AFP reported.
Israel PM to hold conference call with world leaders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said that he has initiated a conference call with world leaders to discuss the threat that the spread of coronavirus currently poses, and will present five steps necessary to fight the infection.
According to Benjamin Netanyahu, a global pandemic ''is a matter of days or hours'' as there is currently no vaccine and the virus is spreading rapidly.
New York declares state of emergency amid outbreak
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo says: "I am declaring a state of emergency for New York amid an outbreak of Coronavirus."
Several primary schools in J&K closed over coronavirus fears
All primary schools in several districts in Jammu and Kashmir including Srinagar have been closed after two people were suspected to be infected by the highly contagious novel coronavirus, the government said.