Coronavirus Highlights: Gurgaon Paytm employee tests positive

There are 93,042 confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 3,201 deaths reported globally in 67 countries

6:45 PM

Coronavirus: Rajasthan govt, hotels follow infected Italian tourists' trail

Labs were analysing blood samples and hotel staff disinfecting rooms along the Rajasthan tourist trail followed by a group of Italian travellers, 16 of whom have now tested positive for coronavirus.

 

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma told the assembly on Wednesday that at least 215 people came in contact with the Italian tourists who visited several places in the state from February 21 to 28. Read More...

6:35 PM

HRD issues advisory for schools over Coronavirus

6:26 PM

Wuhan seeing increase in empty hospital beds

A Beijing-based intensive care doctor now working in Wuhan – the city at the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak – says designated hospitals in the city are seeing an increasing number of empty beds after a large number of virus patients were discharged.

6:25 PM

Saudi suspends 'umrah' pilgrimage over coronavirus fears

6:01 PM

AIBA postpones Congress in Budapest due to coronavirus outbreak

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Wednesday postponed its annual congress in Budapest by three months to June, citing the novel coronavirus outbreak across the world.

 

The decision, prompted by a request from the Hungarian Boxing Federation, comes a few days after the world body cancelled the European leg of its continental forum in Italy.

5:56 PM

PMO takes stock of coronavirus preparedness

5:54 PM

Over 370 who travelled abroad since Jan 15 put on surveillance in Noida, none positive yet

As many as 373 people who have travelled abroad since January 15 have been kept under surveillance so far as possible carriers of coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar, officials said on Wednesday.

 

The instructions to put such people who have travelled abroad had come from the Ministry of Health, Uttar Pradesh in mid January itself, the officials said.  Noida, adjoining Delhi, was caught in panic after samples of six people, including three children, were sent for coronavirus test on Tuesday, four days after they came in contact with a Delhi-based man who has tested positive for COVID 19. All six samples have tested negative, district administration and health officials said on Wednesday. Read More...

5:53 PM

WHO asks countries in South-East Asia region to strengthen preparedness

With India, Indonesia and Thailand confirming new cases of COVID-19, the World Health Organization on Wednesday asked countries in its South-East Asia region to strengthen preparedness for all possible scenarios and ensure early containment measures.

 

"Top priority of countries should be to be ready to roll out speedy response to the first case, first cluster, and first evidences of community transmission. Early containment measures can help countries stop transmission," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO South-East Asia Region said.

 

Five of the 11 countries in the region have confirmed novel coronavirus cases -- Thailand 43, India 28, Indonesia two and Sri Lanka and Nepal one each.

 

The risk of the new coronavirus is very high across the world and in WHO South-East Asia Region. More cases can be expected, Singh said while stressing on identifying them early and isolating them and following their contacts to help limit person-to-person transmission.

5:50 PM

Chemist shops run out of hand sanitizers, face masks in several parts of Delhi-NCR

Hand sanitizers and face masks vanished from chemist shops in many areas of the national capital and adjoining towns as people resorted to panic buying amid the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Many chemist shops in several localities have run out of stock and manufacturers have not replenished the stock as demand took a sudden spike in the past couple of days.

 

Some chemist shops who have stocks available for masks have also jacked up prices, selling items that were available earlier for Rs 150 at Rs 300.

5:50 PM

3 Delhi-NCR schools closed, 2 advance spring break as precautionary measure

Three schools in the national capital and adjoining areas have announced holiday for students and staff as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of coronavirus, while two schools advanced their spring break and others sent out advisories to parents.

 

On Tuesday, a day after the Union Health Ministry reported two fresh cases of coronavirus in the country with one of them in Delhi, two Noida schools sent messages to parents announcing their closure.

 

One of the two schools, where the infected Delhi man's son is a student in a primary class, said it will remain shut from March 4 to March 6. A health department team fumigated and sanitised the school campus on Tuesday.

5:49 PM

2 passengers with travel history to Italy, South Korea quarantined at Jammu hospital

Two passengers with a travel history to Italy and South Korea have been shifted to the quarantine ward at a government medical college hospital in Jammu, officials said on Wednesday.

 

Jammu and Kashmir has been put on alert to deal with any threat emerging due to coronavirus, even though no positive case has been found in the Union Territory so far, officials said.

 

The tests of the two persons have been sent to Delhi and symptomatic passengers have been instructed for home quarantine, they said.

5:30 PM

Germany bans export of medical protective gear over coronavirus

Germany's interior ministry on Wednesday said it had banned exports of medical protection gear such as masks and gloves to ensure that health workers in the country have enough to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

 

The move comes as governments around the world are scrambling to protect supplies as fears over the deadly virus have sparked panic buying, hoarding and even theft.

 

Exceptions can be made, it added, for instance as part of "international aid missions".

 

Germany has recorded 240 cases of the novel coronavirus so far, the bulk of them in North Rhine-Westphalia state where an infected couple attended carnival celebrations last month.

5:30 PM

Facebook to help combat virus misinformation

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the social network is stepping up its efforts to combat virus-related misinformation by giving the World Health Organization free advertising.

 

Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook account that the company is working with national health ministries and global organizations like the World Health Orgnization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF to get out timely and accurate information on the virus.

 

Zuckerberg said Facebook will also give “support and millions more in ad credits” to other unspecified organizations.

5:29 PM

First coronavirus case in EU offices in Brussels: official

5:25 PM

No confirmed coronavirus case so far in Madhya Pradesh: Secy

No confirmed novel coronavirus case has been reported so far in Madhya Pradesh, where the government has taken all steps to deal with any situation in the wake of reports of outbreak of the disease in different parts of the country, a health department official said on Wednesday.

 

The department has advised people to shun large social gatherings and exercise caution while playing Holi.

 

Due to suspected exposure to the coronavirus (COVID- 19), the blood and swab samples of 14 persons were sent to two laboratories for examination, Principal Secretary, Health, Pallavi Jain Govil, told reporters here.

 

Of these, examination reports of 13 persons have been received and none of them tested positive (for the virus).