The number of novel coronavirus cases in the country rose to 107 on Sunday, with 12 fresh cases in Maharashtra, the Union Health Ministry said.
IMAGE: A boy wearing protective mask in the wake of coronavirus pandemic plays cricket with his friends, in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo
The number of cases include two persons who died in Delhi and Karnataka.
While a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia died on Tuesday, a 68 -year-old woman in Delhi who had tested positive for coronavirus passed away at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Friday night.
Delhi has so far reported seven positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 11. Karnataka has six coronavirus patients while Maharashtra 31, Ladakh three and Jammu and Kashmir 2. Telangana reported three cases.
Rajasthan also reported two cases. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each.
Kerala has recorded 22 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month after they recovered from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms.
The total number of confirmed cases includes 17 foreigners — 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian, the ministry officials said.
Amid rising coronavirus cases in India, the government has asked people not to panic, saying no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there has only been a few cases of local transmission so far and that it is “not a health emergency” in India at present.
With the World Health Organisation declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, a health ministry official said over 4,000 people who had come in contact with the 93 positive cases have been identified through contact
tracing and were being tracked while 42,000 people across the country are under community surveillance.
He said all essential facilities like community surveillance, quarantine, isolation wards, adequate personal protective equipment, trained manpower, rapid response teams are being strengthened further in
all states and union territories.
An order has been placed for the procurement of an additional over 80,50,000 N95 masks and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, the health ministry said.
It also clarified the 71-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Buldhana who admitted to a private hospital and died during treatment on Saturday has tested negative for coronavirus infection. He had returned from
Saudi Arabia recently and had diabetes and high blood pressure.
The government on Wednesday suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
It has asked Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.
All incoming international passengers returning to India should self-monitor their health and follow the required do’s and don’ts as detailed by the government.
Coronavirus: Civic polls put off in Andhra Pradesh
Elections to rural and urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh were on Sunday put off for six weeks by the State Election Commission in view of spread of coronavirus.
Elections to gram panchayats have been kept in abeyance for six weeks, State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar said.
“Taking due consideration of emerging challenges posted by coronavirus spread, the SEC is of the firm view that continuing with the election schedule may be detrimental and harmful to the public health at large,” he told a press conference.
Elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies are originally scheduled for March 21.