The number of novel coronavirus cases on Friday rose to 81, which include 16 Italians and one Canadian, Health Ministry officials said.
IMAGE: People wearing mask to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, walk past a cinema hall, in New Delhi, on Thursday. Cinema halls in Delhi will be shut till March 31 as a preventive measure. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo
Addressing reporters, officials said coronavirus is not a health emergency and that there is no need to panic.
Officials said so far, India has evacuated 1,031 people, including from Maldives, the United States, Madagascar and China..
“An exercise will be undertaken on Saturday to bring back Indian passengers stranded in Iran.
“Air India will also send a flight to Milan on Saturday to bring back stranded Indians. It will land on Sunday morning at Delhi airport,” officials said.
Meanwhile, 124 evacuees from Japan, 112 evacuees from China are being discharged from Friday onwards after testing negative for COVID-19, they added.
The Centre also decided to allow international traffic only through 19 border checkposts out of 37 and decided to continue suspension of Indo-Bangladesh cross border passenger trains and buses till April 15, or earlier, if so decided.
With the World Health Organisation declaring coronavirus a pandemic, the officials said 42,000 people across the country are under community surveillance.
Delhi has reported six positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 11 so far.
IMAGE: Passengers wear masks to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic while travelling in a metro, in New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo
Karnataka has five coronavirus patients, Maharashtra 17 and Ladakh three.
Besides, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each.
Kerala has recorded 17 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month after they recovered from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms.
46 persons who were in direct contact with the 76-year old man who died on Tuesday night due to co-morbidity and coronavirus infection have been placed under quarantine, district officials said.
Coronavirus declared epidemic in several Maha districts
Maharashtra government has declared coronavirus an epidemic in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced in the assembly that the Maharashtra government has invoked Epidemic Diseases Act in wake of coronavirus scare.
“Wherever possible, companies should allow employees to work from home in view of coronavirus threat,” Thackeray said in Assembly.
“Malls, gyms, cinema halls, swimming pools to remain closed in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur from 12 midnight,” he said.
IMAGE: A priest wearing protective masks as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), offers prasad to a devotee at Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, on Friday. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo
Meanwhile, one more person was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Pune on Friday, taking the number of Covid-19 cases in the city to 10 and that in Maharashtra to 17.
The person who tested positive for the virus in Pune had travel history to the United States, said divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.
The official pointed out that barring one, all coronavirus patients in Pune had traveled abroad and there was no ‘local transmission’ of the disease as such.
Earlier in the day, two more persons tested positive for the disease in Nagpur.
Two days after a 45-year-old man was found to be infected with coronavirus in Nagpur, his wife and friend also tested positive, Divisional Commissioner Sanjiv Kumar said.
“The man had returned from the US last week along with his wife and a friend,” he informed.
There are now 10 confirmed coronavirus patients in Pune, three each in Mumbai and Nagpur, and one in Thane.
The patient who tested positive in Pune on Friday had returned from the US on March 10 and his samples were taken on the next day, so the number of people who came in close contact with him would be limited, Mhaisekar said.
He appealed people not to panic, pointing out that of the 10 confirmed patients in Pune, nine had traveled abroad.
On Thursday, 31 samples came out negative while on Friday 12 samples tested negative, he said.
A total of 216 samples were sent to the National Institute of Viroloigy from Pune, of which 191 came out negative and ten positive. 15 reports were awaited.
“People should not panic as there is no outbreak as far as local transmission is concerned, however they are requested to take precautions and maintain social distancing,” the commissioner added.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has sought information on people who have traveled to Dubai between February 15 and March 11.
According to a report, the government is likely to take the assistance from tour operators to trace those with such travel history.
IMAGE: A Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) staff member fumigates to disinfect a street on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo
PM’s Gujarat visit postponed
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Gujarat from March 21 has been put off due to the coronavirus scare, it was announced in Gandhinagar on Friday.
Making the announcement about deferment of the PM’s visit, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said new dates will be finalised later.
“In view of the current situation which has arisen due to the coronavirus and a recent central government advisory asking states to avoid organising any large gatherings or seminars, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Gujarat on March 21 and 22 has been postponed,” he said.
Notably, no positive case of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has been reported so far in the home state of Modi.
Patel said the state government is taking all necessary steps to avoid the spread of the virus in view of positive cases reported from neigbhouring Maharashtra and some other states.
Earlier, authorities had announced that Modi will be in Gujarat for two days to inaugurate a host of projects.
On March 21, he was expected to address a large gathering in Vadodara.
On the same day, he was scheduled to visit Kevadiya in Narmada district to inaugurate a clutch of new tourist attractions near the Statue of Unity.
On March 22, the PM was scheduled to inaugurate an 800-bed facility of the U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (UNMICRC), popularly known as UN Mehta Heart Hospital in Ahmedabad.
IMAGE: Students wear protective masks in Chikmagalur, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo
Karnataka govt announces lock-down of malls, theatres, pubs and night clubs
A day after the country’s first coronavirus death was reported from Kalaburagi in Karnataka, the state government on Friday leapt into action announcing lock-down of malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for a week.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa also issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday.
“We will close all universities for a week in the entire state,” he told a press conference.
As much as possible try to avoid travelling, the chief minister said, adding instructions have been issued to pay special attention at government residential schools and hostels.
Examinations like class ten and others will go on as per schedule, he said, adding schools will continue to remain shut, colleges will also be closed for a week.
Responding to a question, the chief minister said, IT professionals and other professionals working in air-conditioned places should work from home for time being, for
about a week.
“We are giving it as an advice.”
He however said, government offices and assembly session will continue as usual.
Yediyurappa said the measures were taken in public interest and sought their cooperation.
The chief minister said the decision has been arrived at after discussion with medical experts and officials.
IMAGE: People wear masks at Colaba market in Mumbai. Photograph: PTI Photo
On reviewing the situation after a week, next course of action will be decided, he said.
In its latest bulletin regarding COVID-19, the state government said, six samples were found positive for COVID-19 including that of the 76-year old man from Kalaburagi.
Chairperson of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murty had on Thursday urged the Karnataka government to take steps to shut malls and theatres, saying the coronavirus multiplies in air-conditioned areas.
She suggested closure of all schools and colleges with immediate effect, malls, theatres and ‘all air-conditioned areas where the virus multiplies’, and allow only essential services like pharmacy, grocery and petrol bunks.
Meanwhile, Google confirmed that the 26-year old man who tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday was a company employee of its Bengaluru office.
‘The employee has been on quarantine since then, and we have asked colleagues who were in close contact with the employee to quarantine themselves and monitor their health,’ the company said in a statement.
District officials in Kalaburagi said 46 people who were in direct contact with the 76-year old man who died on Tuesday night due to co-morbidity and coronavirus infection have been placed under quarantine.
Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Sharat B said 31 of them have been categorised as ‘high risk’ and the remaining 15 as ‘low risk’.
The high-risk persons are being shifted to ESIC hospital in Kalaburagi.
Officials said four family members of the man have displayed flu symptoms and their swab samples have been sent for testing in Bengaluru.
IMAGE: Punjab police personnel wearing protective masks guide a commuter in Bathinda, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo
Bihar shuts schools, colleges, theatres, parks, and zoos; Bihar Diwas celebrations cancelled
M I Khan reports from Patna: Bihar government on Friday decided to shut schools, colleges, coaching institutes, cinema halls, museums, zoos and parks till March 31 in view of rising coronavirus cases in the country.
Bihar Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar announced the decision of the state government after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was held in Patna to discuss the alarming situation.
The government also cancelled events marking Bihar Diwas on March 22. There will no public celebrations during the period.
It was decided that government employees will attend offices on alternate days to ensure functioning of offices along with minimising crowding.
Earlier, the government had decided to close all 1.14 lakh anganwadi kendras in the state.
According to an official release, so far no confirmed case of cornavirus has been reported in Bihar.
However, 60 suspected cases have been detected till date, some of them are being treated at various hospitals.
The state government has tightened vigilance on seven border districts along Nepal.
All schools, colleges in UP to be shut till March 22
The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday declared closure of all schools and colleges where examination process is not going on till March 22 in view of coronavirus scare and asserted that all precautions are being taken to check the spread of the disease.
“All schools and colleges associated with the basic, secondary, higher education and vocational colleges, where examination process is not on, have been closed till March 22,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told newspersons in Lucknow.
Wherever the examination process is underway it will go on as per schedule.
The concerning people have been instructed to take all precautionary measures and maintain hygiene, the chief minister said.
IMAGE: Medics outside an isolation ward of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at a hospital in Hyderabad, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo
So far, 11 coronavirus cases have been reported from the state of which 10 are being treated in Delhi and one in KGMU, Lucknow, he said, adding that these include seven from Agra, two from Ghaziabad and one each from Noida and Lucknow.
Yogi, who convened a high-level meeting of senior officials to deliberate on coronavirus, said an alert in this regard had been declared about a one and a half months ago and necessary advisory was also issued.
Isolation wards have been set up in all the 75 districts and medical staff of doctors, paramedical, nursing staff is being provided necessary training.
Stressing on adopting all precautions to check the spread of the disease, specially at airports on Indo-Nepal border areas, he said there is an effort to avoid mass gatherings for which an appeal was made to the BCCI for the India-South Africa match slated in Lucknow on Saturday.
The match will now be held without spectators but would be telecast live, the chief minister said.
Chhattisgarh govt orders closure of libraries, gyms
The Chhattisgarh government on Friday ordered closure of all public libraries, gyms and swimming pools in urban areas of the state till March 31 amid novel coronavirus scare, officials said.
The government also issued orders to keep anganwadi and mini-anganwadi centres in the state shut during this period as a measure to prevent the spread of infection.
IMAGE: A child who was tested negative for the novel coronavirus rides on a hoverboard scooter, at the ITBP quarantine facility for testing of the COVID-19, in Chhawla, New Delhi, on Friday. All 112 people who were evacuated from China’s Wuhan last month and admitted to an ITBP quarantine facility tested negative for coronavirus. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo
“All public libraries, swimming pools, water parks and government, semi-government and private gyms located under the jurisdiction of civic bodies will be compulsorily closed till March 31 for the prevention and control of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection,” a government official in Raipur said.
State Urban Administration Department’s Secretary, Alarmelmangai D, in a communique to district collectors, Municipal Corporation commissioners and chief municipality officers of Nagar Palika Parishad and Nagar Panchayats, has ordered strict compliance of the directives, he said.
Similarly, in view of the Centre’s advisory, the state Women and Child Development Department ordered closure of anganwadi and mini-anganwadi centres.
However, the beneficiaries will continue to get ready-to-eat food as per the provisions from these facilities, the official said.
Due to the coronavirus scare, the ongoing budget session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, which will resume on March 16 after the Holi vacation, will be adjourned from March 17 to March 25, an assembly official said.
A decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of Work Advisory Committee of the state legislative assembly held on Friday.
Since the proceedings of the committee meeting are tabled in the House, it will resume on March 16, after which the announcement of adjournment till March 25 would be made, he said.
As per the previous schedule, the budget session, which commenced on February 24, was supposed to continue till April 1.
On Thursday, the state government had ordered to shut all schools, colleges and universities till March 31.
However, exams will be held as per schedule in these educational institutes.
No confirmed coronavirus case has been reported so far in Chhattisgarh, where samples of 44 persons screened for possible exposure to the virus tested negative till Thursday, health officials said.
However, test results of the samples of nine persons, including two students of Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) in Raipur district and a CRPF jawan posted in insurgency-hit Sukma district, are awaited, they said.
Jamia Millia, JNU suspend classes till March 31
The Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Jamia Millia Islamia on Friday suspended all lectures, examinations and events on its campusus till March 31, in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
IMAGE: Airline staff and passengers wearing mask at Chennai International Airport, on Friday. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo
Events such as seminars, conferences and workshops on the campus have also been postponed.
“All lectures, class presentations and examinations at JNU are suspended until March 31, 2020, with immediate effect. Conducting any event such as seminars, conferences, workshops, etc. on the campus during this period that requires a gathering of people should be postponed,” read a notice issued by Dr. Pramod Kumar, registrar of the JNU .
It was also notified that basic mess facilities will be available to the hostel residents during this period. Kumar requested JNU residents to follow the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the university.”
The Jami has decided to close all schools run by it till March 31 but the Board examinations will continue as per the schedule.
CRPF cancels anniversary celebrations
The Central Reserve Police Force on Friday postponed its raising day celebrations planned to be held next week in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
The 3.25 lakh central force was supposed to hold the main ceremonial parade and display of martial skills with the involvement of thousands of troops at its officers academy campus in Gurgaon on March 19 to mark its 81st raising day.
India reported its first death due to coronavirus on Thursday as the number of positive cases soared to 74.
The deadly virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year has claimed over 4,600 lives and infected more than 124,330 people worldwide.
“Conforming to precautionary advisory to break the spread of COVID-19, all CRPF programs in connection with CRPF raising day and passing out parade of 51st batch DAGOs (directly appointed gazetted officers) have been postponed,” the force said in a statement.
“The CRPF has joined the national response against COVID-19 by gearing up its medical facilities,” it said.
The passing out parade of its latest batch of officers was scheduled to be held after the raising day event on March 21.
Taking a similar action, the Central Industrial Security Force had last week postponed its anniversary day celebrations to be held on Friday.
However, the CISF is now mulling to hold this event on March 28 after reviewing the threat posed by the disease that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
“The Union home ministry has explicitly asked all forces under its command to avoid large congregations like these events and the CISF raising day will be postponed further if the coronavirus situation does not improve,” a senior official said.
Delhi govt shuts all swimming pools
The Delhi government has ordered the shutting of all public swimming pools in the city with immediate effect till March 31 in wake of coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Friday.
The health department of the Delhi government had issued an order in this regard on Thursday, the official said, adding swimming pools of all hotels and other entities, where people use the facilities, will be closed.
On Thursday, the Delhi government had declared coronavirus an epidemic and shut all cinema halls, schools and colleges, except those where exams are on, till March 31.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also issued an order, saying, “All educational institutions — schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, universities and private coaching and tuition centres — will remain closed till March 31, except for holding examinations.”
112 housed at ITBP quarantine test negative for coronavirus
All 112 people admitted to an Indo-Tibetan Border Police quarantine facility in Delhi for over a fortnight have tested negative for coronavirus and are expected to be released on Friday, a senior official said.
All of them were evacuated last month from Wuhan in China.
“After 14 days of quarantine at ITBP facility in Chhawla, 112 inmates, including 36 foreign nationals, have tested negative for coronavirus,” an Indo-Tibetan Border Police spokesperson said.
“Today is the 16th day of their quarantine,” he said.
Minister of state for home Nityanand Rai and ITBP chief S S Deswal will meet them at the facility and see them off around 11 am, he said.
Indian Embassy sets up helplines to address queries on travel restrictions
The Indian embassy in the United States has set up 24-hour helplines to address questions on the recent travel restrictions implemented by New Delhi in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In a statement the embassy said it has set up round-the-clock helpline numbers “for queries and clarifications regarding the recent travel advisory issued by the government of India for travel to India in view of the spread of coronavirus”.
Helpline numbers are being operated at the embassy in Washington DC and consulates at Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Houston and San Francisco.
India on Wednesday suspended all visas, except a few categories such as diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
The suspension came into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13 at the port of departure.
“All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International organisations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure,” an official statement said issued on Wednesday.
Visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India card holders is also kept in abeyance till April 15, it said.
The embassy in its statement said helpline numbers 202-213-1364 and 202-262-0375 will address queries from Bermuda, Delaware, the District of Colombia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Those residing in these states can also reach out to the embassy at cons4.washington@mea.gov.in.
For Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virgin Islands the numbers are 404-910-7919 and 404-924-9876, and the email id is cons-atlanta@mea.gov.in.
Those in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin can call 312-687-3642 and 312-468-3276 or email at visa-chicago@mea.gov.in.
Helpline number 713-626-2149 is open for those residing in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska. The email id is enquiriescgi@swbell.net.
The New York consulate is operating helpline numbers 347-721-9243 and 212-774-0607, and email id visa.newyork@mea-gov.in for states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Those in Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming can call 415-483-6629 or email at oci2.sf@mea.gov.in.
The government has also “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.