The coronavirus is an extremely serious threat to our people and our economy, Rahul Gandhi said
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said the government is not taking the threat "seriously." In a tweet, tagging a Harvard University report, the former Congress chief said the coronavirus is not only an "extremely serious threat" to the people but also the economy.
In India, three cases of coronavirus have been detected so far but there have been no casualties. The lethal disease has killed over 1,100 people in China and spread to over 20 countries.
"Timely action is critical," Rahul Gandhi added in his tweet to his 12 million followers. The tweet was liked over 19,000 times.
Three coronavirus cases were reported in Kerala in the last few weeks. All three patients are students who returned from China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak, last month.
The first Indian patient, who got infected, tested negative in latest reports after she was isolated and her health improved.
In a ship quarantined off Japan, two Indians have tested positive for the virus. There are 138 Indians on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.
The coronavirus outbreak originated in central China's Hubei province in December last year. The confirmed cases of infection jumped to 44,653 in the province, health officials said today.
The virus was officially named "COVID-19" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday.
Several countries have banned arrivals from China while major airlines have suspended flights to the country.