Coronavirus outbreak: India confirms 28 cases, including 16 Italians
India's Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 28 positive cases of the novel coronavirus disease, called COVID-19. The development comes after the first confirmed case detected in Delhi was found to have infected six of his family members. Separately, 16 Italians touring India tested positive for the virus and have been quarantined at the ITBP facility in Chhawla, Delhi. Here are more details.
Three cases in Kerala have recovered from COVID-19 and discharged from hospitals. One person in Delhi's Mayur Vihar, who had traveled to Italy, was found to be infected with the virus. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan confirmed on Wednesday that the man has infected 6 other family members in Agra. Separately, a techie who traveled to Hyderabad from Bengaluru tested positive for the virus.
An Italian couple in Jaipur was also detected with the virus. The couple was among a group of 24 Italian tourists that arrived in India on February 21, before India was screening arrivals from Italy, the Health Minister said. Apart from the couple, 15 others in the group, including an Indian driver, tested positive for the virus. They are quarantined at ITBP's Chhawla camp.
36 out of 88 people the Bengaluru techie came into contact with are now showing symptoms of COVID-19, Telangana government officials said. Two Noida schools also suspended classes after some students attended a birthday party hosted by the man infected in Delhi.
Reportedly, there are a total of 438 suspected cases in India. Out of those, 225 have spent 28 days under medial observation, while 189 continue to be in surveillance. At least 89 persons have been kept in isolation. 118 people have been tested for the virus. Out of those, 103 were found negative while the results of 14 others are awaited.
Health Ministry officials: At least 25 people suspected of Coronavirus are admitted at Safdarjung hospital. 4 suspected cases of Coronavirus are kept in isolation at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/xbDIeHI8lu
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
Harsh Vardhan said, "We have requested all hospitals in Delhi to develop good quality isolation wards, in order to stay prepared if more cases of coronavirus are suspected in the national capital." On increase in prices of N95 masks, he said, "If people are taking advantage...then they should be labeled as "black sheep" and a mechanism to punish them should be implemented."
Henceforth, all flights and passengers will be included in universal screening, the Health Minister said. Till now, only passengers from 12 countries were being screened. Two passengers with travel history to Italy and South Korea have reportedly been identified in Jammu and Kashmir. One of them was shifted to GMC Jammu while another was quarantined at home.
Delhi: A meeting of a group of Union Ministers on Coronavirus to be held today at Nirman Bhawan.
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda have said that they will not participate in Holi Milan celebrations. They advised people against attending mass gatherings as that could facilitate the transmission of the virus. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said he will not participate in Holi celebrations due to the outbreak and the recent violence in Delhi.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: I am also not celebrating Holi this year, because of this (Coronavirus) and the recent violence which took place in Delhi, in which many people lost their lives. People are in pain that is why neither I nor any minister or MLA will celebrate Holi. pic.twitter.com/Ymik8blM6o
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
