Coronavirus outbreak: Total number of positive cases in India rises to 137

India on Tuesday reported its third coronavirus fatality with a 63-year-old dying in Mumbai, Health Ministry officials said, as the number of positive cases rose sharply to at least 137 and more parts of the country faced restrictions in a bid to stem the spread of infection.
 
The government, which on Monday banned the entry of passengers from EU countries, Turkey and the UK from March 18 till March 31, also closed its doors to those from Afghanistan, the Philippines and Malaysia with immediate effect, according to an additional travel advisory.
 
An 18-year-old man, who recently returned from England, tested positive for novel coronavirus on Tuesday, making it the first confirmed case in West Bengal, a senior official of the state government said.

 

He started showing symptoms of COVID-19 since morning, following which he was admitted to the isolation ward of the Beliaghata ID hospital here, they said.
 
The man, who had gone to the UK for higher studies, had returned on Sunday.
 
Unheard of till just a few days ago, ‘social distancing’ was the buzz-term as public spaces, including monuments such as the Taj Mahal, shut down and many thousands of people prepared to spend the next few days confined to home, working or studying online.
 
The Mumbai patient with a travel history to Dubai is the first COVID-19 death in Maharashtra, which has the most number of coronavirus cases at 39, officials said.

 
Earlier, a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi in Karnataka with a travel history to Saudi Arabia and a 68-year-old woman in Delhi died after they tested positive for the infection that according to Johns Hopkins University has infected 1,82,000 people and claimed over 7,100 lives globally.
 
The Maharashtra patient, whose wife also tested positive and is stable, was in a private hospital for five days and subsequently referred to Mumbai's Kasturba Hospital, officials said. He reportedly did not disclose his travel history when he was admitted to the private hospital.
 
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the exact cause behind his death is being ascertained as he was also suffering from various ailments.

 
Among the new cases are two people from the suburb of Noida bordering the national capital. One recently returned from France and is already in isolation. The other has also been quarantined, Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava said.
 
In Bengaluru, two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 late Monday night.
 
Both are admitted to a designated isolation hospital.
 
One is a 20-year-old woman who travelled from the UK and the other a 60-year-old "contact" of the 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who became the country's first coronavirus casualty last week, officials said.
 
The Union ministry did not immediately add the figures to its national count.

 
According to ministry data, 14 people have been discharged so far, including the three Kerala patients who were discharged last month following their recovery from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms. Kerala also has the highest number of COVID-19 patients after Maharashtra with 26 patients, including two foreigners.
 
A 67-year-old woman has tested positive, taking the total number of cases in Karnataka to 11, officials said.
 
Asking BJP MPs to spread awareness about the coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear the Budget Session of Parliament will not be curtailed as lawmakers should be seen to be doing their work at a time such as this.

 
In his address at the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Modi heaped praise on doctors and other medical staff as well as airline crews and others involved in tackling the coronavirus crisis, saying they have worked positively and tirelessly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters.
 
Amid rising coronavirus cases, the government has said no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there have only been a few cases of local transmission so far.
 
With the WHO declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, a Health Ministry official said over 5,700 people who had come in contact with the positive cases have been identified through contact tracing and are under vigorous surveillance.

 
He said all essential facilities like community surveillance, quarantine, isolation wards, adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs), trained manpower, rapid response teams are being strengthened.
 
The government has approved AirAsia flights for Delhi and Vizag to help Indians stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport due to the coronavirus outbreak, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.
 
Media reports said over 200 Indians, mostly students, were stuck at Kuala Lumpur Airport due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
 
The Centre also deputed 30 officers in the rank of Joint Secretary and above to states so that they can effectively deal with the outbreak of coronavirus.

Covid-19 India impact

• India’s commitment to combat coronavirus ‘impressive’: WHO
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• Health ministry to allow accredited private labs to conduct tests for coronavirus
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• Russian deputy PM’s visit to India this month cancelled
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• Two test positive for coronavirus in Noida
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• West Bengal reports first positive case
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• Cannot confirm whether more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive: MEA
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• NSE offers work from home option
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• In Karnataka, 63-year-old doctor among 10 confirmed cases
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• Puducherry reports first confirmed case
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• 4 quarantined in Goa for suspected exposure
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• Three more tested positive in Ladakh, prohibitory orders imposed in Kargil
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•  DGCA asks airlines to disinfect planes every 24 hours, place hand sanitisers in lavatories
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• BMC hikes spitting fine from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000
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• Govt asks ministries to install thermal scanners, suspend passes for visitors
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• Uttar Pradesh extends ‘shutdown’ till April 2
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• All cinema halls, multiplexes in West Bengal closed till March 31
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• Police, govt officials visit Shaheen Bagh, urge protestors to vacate
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• Govt orders 1 million kits, readies to test for community spread
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• Gurugram woman tests positive for coronavirus, first confirmed case in Haryana
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• Mumbai doctor who claimed coronavirus will not survive in summer gets MMC notice
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• Amazon stops receiving non-essential products from sellers
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• CBSE releases preventive measures for examination centres
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• Rajasthan bans 50-plus gathering in public places till March 31