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Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: First coronavirus cases surface in Egypt, South Africa

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Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: First coronavirus cases surface in Egypt, South Africa

Coronavirus live news update India: Both Egypt and South Africa reported their first cases of coronavirus infections, almost three month after the outbreak was first identified

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Coronavirus news: Delhi primary schools closed Coronavirus news: Delhi primary schools closed

Coronavirus news live updates: Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that primary classes, that is up to Std 5th, in all private and government schools will be suspended from tomorrow, March 6. More than 16,076 passengers and crew member aboard 452 ships from China have not been allowed to disembark at Indian ports to check the spread of coronavirus in the country. All assistance is being provided to crew, passengers in case of sickness as per WHO norms, an official told PTI. Earlier today, one more case of coronovirus has been confirmed in Ghaziabad. The patient has travel history to Iran. Meanwhile, authorities in Srinagar have isolated 5 more suspected cases.

As cases of COVID-19 see a rise globally, India has placed around 25,000 people suspected of possible contact with patients under observation. Even the famous Taj Mahal has been put under heavy screening. Security personnel are screening visitors with thermal guns. External minister S Jaishankar has said that India is sending a team of medical professionals to Iran for help. Reportedly there are 1,200 Indians stranded in Iran now. The Health Minister has also said that the biggest concern right now are the Indians stuch in Tehran and Quam. Moreover, the government is constantly in touch with the Indians who are in China.

Also read: Coronavirus in India: How do I check if I have been infected?

Also read: Coronavirus: Delhi tops people under surveillance; crisis in Kerala, Punjab too

Also read: Coronavirus update: Over 11 lakh screened people at border check posts

Follow the live updates on coronavirus news here:

8:50 pm: Lufthansa cancels all flights to Israel till March 28 due to coronavirus restrictions.

8:44 pm: Rajasthan has declared that two cases in the state have tested positive for coronavirus, whereas reports for 8 samples are still awaited. The state declared that it has collected 247 samples, out of which 239 samples have been tested.

7:33 pm: Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be closed for public from March 7 o avoid any large gathering of people, in view of coronavirus outbreak.

7:31 pm: Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla reviewed screening of people coming from neighbouring countries through land borders in view of coronavirus outbreak. He held a video conference with officials from different states and security agencies.

7:26 pm: Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain listed precautions against coronavirus and steps his company has taken to check the spread of the deadly pathogen.

6:42 pm: Maharashtra government launches dedicated helpline number '020-26127394' for coronavirus.

6:40 pm: Greece confirms 21 new coronavirus cases among travellers who had recently returned from a pilgrimage to religious sites in Israel and Egypt, reported Reuters.

6:34 pm: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has people of the state not to hold unnecessary gatherings during the festival of Holi and remain cautious for the next 10-15 days in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Yesterday, PM Narendra Modi had said that he will not attend Holi gatherings.

Thackeray further added there is no need to panic and the government is alert.

6:29 pm: BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said that additional isolation wards will be set up at all major hospitals like Lilawati, Jaslok, Hinduja, Saifee, Railway Hospital, MBT, if needed.

6:25 pm: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched 24x7 helpline number '1916' to report coronavirus cases in the city.

6:21 pm: First coronavirus case emerges in Egypt. The patient had travelled back from Europe.

6:21 pm: South Africa has confirmed its first coronavirus case.

5:54 pm: Coronavirus update: Death toll in US hits 11; nursing home under investigation

Federal authorities announced an investigation of the Seattle-area nursing home at the center of an outbreak of the new coronavirus as the US death toll climbed to 11, including the first fatality outside Washington state.

Officials in California's Placer County, near Sacramento, said Wednesday an elderly person who tested positive after returning from a San Francisco-to-Mexico cruise had died.

The victim had underlying health problems, authorities said.

(Associated Press)

5:49 pm: Coronavirus news: 14-bed isolation ward set up at Hindurao Hospital: North Delhi Mayor

An isolation ward containing 14 beds has been set up at NDMC-run Bara Hindurao Hospital here for coronavirus patients, North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh said on Thursday. Nodal officers have been deputed at Hindurao and Kasturba Hospital to report on coronavirus cases. A core team has been formed to review the situation, he said.

"A 14-bed isolation ward has been set up at Bara Hindurao hospital. A total of 3,000 N 95 masks have been distributed in the hospital. At zonal levels, deputy health officers have been deputed as nodal officers," the mayor said.

Singh appealed to people to refrain from shaking hands and hugging others and instead greet each other with folded hands. The traditional Holi function scheduled to be held at mayor's residence on March 7 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, he added.

The hotels under North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area have been directed to report arrival of foreigners, Singh further said.

(PTI)

5:44 pm: On reports that 495 Iranian tourists are untraceable, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that till now the ministry hasn't received any info about it from Iranian Embassy. "Some Iranian tourists who're in India had come here before coronavirus outbreak and they can't return as no flight is operating between the two countries at present," Kumar said.

5:30 pm: IN PICTURES: Truckers from Pakistan being scanned for COVID-19 at Attari

5:12 pm: No coronavirus patient found in Bihar till now, states Mangal Pandey, Bihar Health Minister.

5:12 pm: Coronavirus update: Mumbai's civic authority Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is keeping a close eye on people who arrived from virus affected countries.

Talking to India Today TV, a BMC official said, "More than 300 travellers from affected countries are being monitored telephonically to check for development of coronavirus symptoms."

5:10 pm: A look at self-reporting form travellers from coronavirus-affected countries need to submit before entering India.

Courtesy: India Today
Click here to Enlarge

4:55 pm: Coronavirus cases spike in central city of Wuhan

Mainland China reported a rise in new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Thursday, reversing three straight days of declines, because of a spike in new infections in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak.

Mainland China had 139 new confirmed cases as of Wednesday, the National Health Commission (NHC) said, bringing the total accumulated number of cases to 80,409. Authorities reported 119 new cases the previous day and 125 the day before that.

The increase was driven by more cases in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, where the virus is believed to have emerged in a market late last year.

Wuhan's new infections climbed to 131 from 114 a day earlier. There was no immediate elaboration and health officials were due to hold a briefing later in the day.

(Reuters)

4:52 pm: A 16-year-old Indian girl in Dubai has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infection cases in the UAE to 28.

4:43 pm: Indian junior archery team has pulled out of the upcoming Asia Cup world ranking tournament being held in Bangkok, Thailand over coronavirus fears.

4:40 pm: Sikkim Govt has suspended issuing 'Inner Line Permit' from today till further orders. Decision has been taken by the authority after 30 positive cases of #CoronaVirus in the country. Buses are now plying only for domestic tourists from Sikkim Nationalised Transport in Siliguri.

4:38 pm: Two pending samples sent from Telangana to National Institute of Virology in Pune tested negative: State Health Minister E Rajender.

4:34 pm: 15 new coronavirus deaths reported in Iran. Death toll rises to 107.

4:20 pm: Coronavirus impact: India-EU Summit called off

On health authorities's advice, the bilateral summit between India and the European Union at Brussels has been rescheduled, informed Minister of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

4:18 pm: To prevent spread of coronavirus, all primary schools in Delhi to remain closed till March 31, says Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

4:08 pm: Prices of Penicillin G, a key raw material imported from China by some of the Indian antibiotic makers, see a price increase of over 50 per cent.

4:06 pm: Coronavirus impact: Delhi govt suspends biometric attendance

The Delhi government on Thursday advised head of departments (HoDs), autonomous bodies and municipal corporations to suspend the biometric attendance system in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, an official said.

"A letter has been written to principal secretaries, secretaries, autonomous bodies and municipal corporations for the suspension of biometric attendance in view of coronavirus threat," the official told PTI.

One more case of novel coronavirus was reported in Ghaziabad in the national capital region, taking the total number in the country to 30 so far, official sources said on Thursday.

(PTI)

4:01 pm: "To prevent coronavirus spread, 16,076 crew, passengers aboard 452 ships from China not allowed to disembark at Indian ports. All assistance is being provided to crew, passengers in case of sickness as per WHO norms," an official told PTI.

3:58 pm: Jammu: Escaped coronavirus patients brought back

Two coronavirus patients fled from the hospital they were lodged in. They were later brought back.

"Two coronavirus suspects who fled from hospital have been brought back within hours. There is nothing to worry now. We are on alert," informed Sunanda Raina, Principal of Government Medical College, Jammu.

3:54 pm: Coronavirus impact: Food prices decline in February after four months of rise

World food prices slipped in February, ending four months of successive increases, with the spread of coronavirus dampening demand for some products, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food priceindex, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals,oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 180.5 points last month, down 1.0 per cent on January.

(Reuters)

3:50 pm: Dogs, cats can't transmit coronavirus: Hong Kong govt

Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners. That's the conclusion of Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department after a dog in quarantine tested weak positive for the virus February 27, February 28 and March 2, using the canine's nasal and oral cavity samples.

A unidentified spokesman for the department was quoted in a news release as saying. "There is currently no evidence that pet animals can be a source of infection of COVID-19 or that they become sick."

Scientists suspect the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 that causes the disease originated in bats before passing it on to another species, possibly a small wild mammal, that passed it on to humans.

However, experts from the School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences of the City University of Hong Kong and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have unanimously agreed that the dog has a low-level of infection and it is "likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission".

(Associated Press)

3:43 pm: Switzerland reports first coronavirus death

A 74-year-old woman in western Switzerland has died after contracting the new coronavirus, the country's first death from the rapidly spreading disease outbreak, regional police said on Thursday.

The woman had been hospitalised at Lausanne's University Hospital in the canton of Vaud since Tuesday, police said. She was a high-risk patient suffering from chronic disease, authorities added.

In Switzerland, 58 infections have been confirmed so far. The country has frequent exchanges with neighbour Italy, where around 3,100 people have been diagnosed with the disease and 107 died, as well as France and Germany, where coronavirus cases have also been reported.

(Reuters)

3:31 pm: Coronavirus reaches Srinagar, 5 suspected patients kept in isolation

Health authorities in Kashmir have kept five persons with a recent history of travelling to coronavirus-affected countries in the isolation ward of the SKIMS hospital here after they showed symptoms of the disease, officials said on Thursday.

"We have kept the five persons in the isolation ward at the SKIMS hospital in Soura," they said.

The officials added that samples of the suspects were collected and sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

Of the five, one had travelled to Thailand while two had been to Iran, they said, adding that the remaining two had a recent travel history to the epicentre of COVID-19 in China's Wuhan.

(PTI)

3:28 pm: Enough bulk drugs for three months: Chemicals Minister Gowda

Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Sadanand Gowda on Thursday assured there is no shortage of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for at least three months. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are the raw materials required to produce medicines. They are also referred to as bulk drugs.

"There is no shortage of any APIs for next three months. There is some confusion about supply and availability of medicines. We have got sufficient medicines and sufficient APIs. For another three months, there is no shortage (of raw material) for manufacturing pharmaceuticals," Gowda said during a conference at Gandhinagar.

Initiatives are being taken to open API manufacturing parks in different parts of the country to reduce dependency on China, said Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya.

(PTI)

3:25 pm: First coronavirus death reported in Switzerland.

3:12 pm: Official sources have confirmed one more case of coronavirus in Ghaziabad. The patient has travel history to Iran. This takes the total number of confirmed cases to 30.

3:12 pm: IPL expects smooth start despite COVID-19 epidemic

Indian Premier League (IPL) is expecting to overcome the novel coronavirus threat and go ahead as scheduled. Just over 60 players from cricket nations such as Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the Caribbean islands will fly to India for the T20 extravaganza, and the reported positive cases of coronavirus in all these countries is next to none.

"The IOC is saying Olympics in Tokyo will be held as per schedule. IPL is a minuscule tournament in that regard. If Olympics can be held, there's no reason why IPL can't be held," an anonymous BCCI official told PTI.

2:53 pm: IN PICTURES: Awareness programme on coronavirus at Golden Temple, Amritsar

2:21 pm: COVID-19 update: "In addition to Visa restrictions already in place, passengers traveling from/having visited Italy or Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India will need certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from the designated laboratories authorized by the health authorities of these countries. This will be enforced from 0000 Hrs of 10th March, 2020 and is a temporary measure till cases of COVID-19 subside," stated the government in a release.

2:20 pm: Indian student in Dubai has been tested positive for coronavirus. The total cases of coronavirus in UAE has reached 27 so far.

2:19 pm: Bosnia has confirmed its first case of coronavirus. The state media reported that the case was confirmed but there were no details available immediately.

2:15 pm: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray asked people not to panic over the coronavirus situation. He added that the next eight days are crucial and said that he would pray that the virus gets burned in the Holi fire.

2:10 pm: "There's a real opportunity for India to get back in the race," said Anand Mahindra.

2:00 pm: A Turkish Airlines aircraft was flown back to Istanbul from Singapore without any passengers on board. A passenger who had arrived on the plane on Tuesday was tested positive for coronavirus.

1:50 pm: "It's time the government made public an action plan backed by solid resources to tackle this crisis," said Rahul Gandhi.

1:45 pm: China allocates $16 billion to fight coronavirus. The government expects the outbreak to temporarily affect its revenues but also expect it to ease as the economy recovers.

1:40 pm: Six people who came from China have been tested negative for coronavirus. Jharkhand government is keeping a close vigil as a lot of people from the state fo to Dubai, China for employment.

1:30 pm: California declares emergency as 11 people die of coronavirus in the US. "The State of California is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of this coronavirus," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.

1:25 pm: S Jaishankar said that the government is constantly monitoring the progress in Iran.

1:23 pm: External minister S Jaishankar said that a team of medical professionals will land in Iran from India today. They expect to establish the first clinic in the city of Qom by evening. "Working on logistics of return with Iranian authorities," he said.

1:17 pm: The Health Minister said that a major area of concern right now is Indian pilgrims and students stranded in Tehran and Quam, Iran, which have been heavily affected by the coronavirus outbreak. "Government of India is following up with Iran authorities for their well-being and to tie up evacuation as per need," he said.

1:14 pm: "The Indian Embassy and Consulates are also in regular contact with the Indian Community in other parts of China and is keeping a constant track of their well-being," said Dr Harsh Vardhan. 

1:11 pm: Greece reported its tenth case of coronavirus on Thursday. The country ordered the closure of schools and banned public gatherings in three districts in the west of the country from Thursday as a precautionary measure.

1:09 pm: Indonesia has decided to ban entry and transit of foreign visitors who have spent 14 days in cities hit by coronavirus outbreaks in Iran, Italy and South Korea, starting March 8, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday.

1:05 pm: South Korea declared a "special care zone" on Thursday around a second city hit hard by the coronavirus. The South Korean government declared a "special care zone" around Gyeongsan, a city of about 275,000 people 250 kms southeast of Seoul, and warned against travel there, as per Reuters.

1:02 pm: TDP MP Jayadev Galla in Lok Sabha said in Lok Sabha that people need to know if there will be any impact of coronavirus on the economy. " People are expecting a global economic impact," he said.

1:00 pm: Officials use thermal gun at Taj Mahal to screen visitors for coronavirus.

12:51 pm: Health authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed that a pet dog, a Pomeranian, belonging to a coronavirus patient has been infected. It is the first reported case of human-to-animal transmission of coronavirus. The pet dog was tested "weak positive".

12:47 pm: "There is only one virology institute in Pune. It is not enough. We should have this institute in different zones of the country,"  says DMK MP Kanimozhi.

12:44 pm: Foreign visitors banned at Mathura's Vrindavan Iskcon Temple. "Due to #Coronavirus, we've requested foreign devotees not to visit the temple for the next two months. If they want to visit the temple, they will have to produce the medical certificate to prove that they are not infected,"  said Saurabh Das, PRO of the temple.

12:40 pm: Navneet Ravi Rana, an independent member from Maharashtra, on Thursday asked a question in Lok Sabha wearing a mask. Rana asked a question about the supply of power.

12:30 pm: A suspected case of coronavirus has been reported in Mumbai. The airport screened 2,285 passengers who arrived today from 12 countries. So far, 59,654 passengers have been screened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport in Mumbai.

12:20 pm: Ministers arrive at the parliament sporting masks. The parliament security personnel have also been spotted wearing gloves and masks. Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta writes to RS Chairman asking for coronavirus screening equipment.

12:18 pm: A total of 39 samples were collected at the Mandawa Hotel. The Italian group stayed in Jhunjhunu district. However, only 6 were symptomatic as per ICMR guidelines. All have been tested negative. They will be under watch for 14 days and will be tested if they show symptoms.

12:12 pm: COVID-19 update: Govt has busted the myth that alcohol prevents coronavirus. "Drinking alcohol does not protect you from nCoV,"  stated PIB.

12:10 pm: Meanwhile, Italy has shut down all schools and colleges as the death toll reaches 100.

12:09 pm: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said that coronavirus has spread to almost all the provinces of the country. The country has so far reported 92 deaths.

12:04 pm: A school in Agra with a student who was high-suspected of coronavirus has been closed. The school underwent sanitisation. All in-school exams that were scheduled for the day have been postponed.

12:01 pm: An European Union official in Brussels has tested positive for coronavirus. The official had returned from Italy on February 23 and started showing symptoms on February 29.

11:55 am: Saudi Arabia has suspended the year-round Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina over fears of coronavirus. The decision will be reviewed regularly till the situation normalises, state media reported.

11:45am: National Congress Party (NCP) MP Vandana Chavan, on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha, "There is misinformation being spread on coronavirus while some leaders are talking about how gaumutra and cow dung cakes can cure coronavirus. This should not happen". Immediately, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu interrupted her, saying, "That is upon people to believe or not".

11:43am: Apple Inc is pulling out of this month's South by Southwest music and tech festival amid the coronavirus outbreak. The South by Southwest music and tech festival, set to be held in Austin, Texas. Facebook Inc had said earlier this week it would not participate in the festival, Reuters reported

11:40am: "Sale of meat, semi-cooked meat and fish has been banned in open areas in the Lucknow district to ensure that coronavirus does not transmit through meat. Hotels and restaurants have been asked to ensure cleanliness and hygiene," district magistrate Abhishek Pathak said.

11:20 am: Dr Harsh Vardhan said that 6,11,176 passengers have been screened at different points.

11:15 am: "Total 29 cases reported out of them 3 are from Kerela who have been released. One more has tested positive in Delhi, who has a travel history to Italy. Group of Ministers is constantly working on it. PMO is directly monitoring this issue. We started action on coronavirus preparedness from Jan 17," said Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

10:57 am: Security staff at the Parliament seen wearing disposable gloves and masks.

10:52 am: The Sikkim government has said that over 4.06 lakh passengers arriving in the state have been screened so far for coronavirus infection, but no positive case has been detected. A total of 69,734 vehicles have been stopped for checking at Utteray, Ramman, Rangpo, Reshi and Melli checkposts and 4,06,993 passengers screened for symptoms of coronavirus, but no positive case has been found in Sikkim till date, a statement issued by the state health department said.

10:45 am: Telangana High Court has allowed parties to be absent from the court hearings. The court has also decided to distribute homeopathy pills to prevent coronavirus.

10:35 am: Around 23 more samples have been sent from Agra and Lucknow after the screening of 49-50 cases. Few tourists had applied for screening.

10:30 am: Over 25,000 passengers are under the scanner of the Health Ministry due to their possible contact history with coronavirus. Delhi, Kerala and Punjab account for over half of these cases. However, only 37 of them have been hospitalised through integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) network, till March 3

10:21 am: The death toll has crossed 100 in Italy.

10:17 am: Coronavirus takes its toll on the aviation industry. All the flights of Flybe, one of UK's biggest airlines have been grounded.

10:15 am: Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will make a statement in Lok Sabha at 12 pm today.

10:10 am: The death toll of coronavirus in China has crossed 3,000 with 31 new fatalities. The total number of confirmed cases jumped to over 80,400. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for undiminished vigilance.

10:05 am: Karnataka government has asked companies to let emmployees with flu-like symptoms to work from home. "Those employees having flu like symptoms may be allowed to work from home with advice of standard hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Employees other than those restricted countries arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Maccau, Veitnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, the UAE and Qatar must undergo medical screening at airport entry," the advisory read.

10:00 am: A family of three who arrived in Vishakhapatnam from Malaysia has been shifted to the AP Chest Hospital quarantine ward. They were detected with mild fever upon arrival. Two more people who arrived from Bahrain have also been quarantined. The samples have been sent to Hyderabad and Pune for tests.

9:50 am: The UN has estimated the trade impact of coronavirus on India to be around $348 million. India figures among the top 15 economies most affected as slowdown of manufacturing in China disrupts world trade, according to a UN report.

9:43 am: The Italian nationals who were quarantined at the Chhawla camp have been moved to Medanta hospital on request of the government. They were quarantined at the ITBP facility earlier. 

9:41 am: Three people have been admitted at the Bidar Institute of Medical Science in Karnataka. One of the patients is software engineer who returned from Norway. The other two are a father-son duo who returned from Qatar.

9:39 am: West Bengal BJP members distributed masks with 'Save from Coronavirus infection Modi ji' written on them.

9:34 am: UN economists announced a likely $50 billion drop in the worldwide manufacturing exports in February alone due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Citing the China Manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI), Pamela Coke-Hamilton, who heads UNCTAD's Division on International Trade and Commodities, said that it had fallen to 37.5 - a drop of about 20 points the lowest reading since 2004.

9:30 am: The death toll in the US has increased to 11. A Facebook employee has been detected with coronavirus.

9:25 am: Around 8 per cent of Iranian MPs at the Parliament have been detected with coronavirus.

9:20 am: Samples collected from Fortis Hospital Jaipur reveal that the Italian citizen taken for treatment and the Ramada Hotel Jaipur staff member have tested negative for coronavirus. 

9:15 am: A Chinese man locks himself in his flat in Greater Noida. He believes he has COVID-19. Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava says, "Several tests have been conducted on him. He does not have any problem."

9:05 am: Microsoft asked many of its employees in the Seattle region near its headquarters and the San Francisco Bay Area to work from home if possible until March 25. "Taking these measures will ensure your safety and also make the workplace safer for those that need to be onsite," Executive Vice President Kurt DelBene told employees in a blog post.

9:00 am: Ministry of Home Affairs has said that India is well prepared to tackle the threat of coronavirus.

8:58 am: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked his countrymen to adopt namaste instead of handshake.

8:54 am: "We have taken all precautionary measures, got 12 isolation rooms and a designated team that can handle cases if any. We have an adequate stock position. Last month, we had 10 suspects who tested negative," said R Jayanthi, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital in Chennai.

8:50 am: An employee of Hotel Rang Mahal in Jaisalmer has been admitted with suspicion of coronavirus. The Italian tourists who were tested positive for coronavirus had stayed at the hotel. The employee has been admitted at the government hospital in Jaisalmer.

8:40 am: COVID-19 update: Medical bulletin till 6 pm on March 4.

  • Cumulative number of passengers from 12 specified countries and found residing in Uttar Pradesh - 2303
  • Symptomatic contacts hospitalised today (2 from Agra at the Safdarjung hospital)
  • Symptomatic passengers hospitalised today (5 in Lucknow)
  • Asymptomatic contacts hospitalised today (4 from Agra at Safdarjung Hospital, 6 from Noida at Gautam Buddh Nagar and 5 at Bulandshahr district hospital )
  • 6 samples sent to NIV Pune for confirmation
  • 157 samples found negative
  • Total number of symptomatic travelers  identified in UP till date - 105
  • Total travelers screened at airports - 7,684
  • Travelers screened at border check posts - 9,90,297
  • Villages at Nepal border where sensitisation meetings were held - 1,765

8:35 am: Collectors of Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaipur have been asked to follow precautions regarding the Italian visitors' travel. They have been asked to do the following:

  • 1. Bus to be disinfected, driver and cleaner to be home quarantined for 14 days.
  • 2. Disinfection and enlisting of guests in these rooms (get health information and advice home isolation for 14 days for all guests in those rooms)
  • 3. Enhanced surveillance in all the tourist spots/places visited including resturants and awareness campaign.
  • 4. Setting up of control room

8:30 am: A hotel in Agra has been asked to stop booking for guests further till it is sanitised completely by authorities as they believe that coronavirus-affected tourists stayed in the hotel recently.

8:25 am: IRDAI has asked insurance companies to design policies to cover coronavirus. "For the purpose of meeting health insurance requirements of various sections, insurers are advised to design products covering the costs of treatment for coronavirus," IRDAI said.

8:20 am: The Health Ministry has issued an advisory for schools regarding COVID-19.

8:16 am: COVID-19 update: 70,000 people have been screened in Punjab for Covid-19. All test results showed negative.

One suspect admitted to Mohali civil hospital,reports expected today.

Singapore engineer  sent back from Chandigarh.

8:13 am: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued an advisory to all the Chief Secretaries and administrators of all States and Union Territories (UTs) rocer necessary precautions that are to be taken to prevent coronavirus among children. "The National Commission, as per its functions under section 13 (d) of CRPC Act, 2005, requests and recommends that the State Education Department in consultation with the State Health Department to take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection among school children," NCPCR stated.

8:09 am: Uttar Pradesh government has set up an 18-member committee led by the health minister to monitor the situation in the state.The high-level committee has issued directives to all districts of the state asking them to identify suspected patients, maintain checks against the spread of the virus and ensure effective treatment.

8:05 am: The Goa government has set up ten-bed isolation wards each at three facilities to deal with coronavirus cases. The wards have been set up at Community Health Centre, Chicalim (South Goa), Primary Health Centre, Sankhalim (North Goa) and TB Hospital in Margao (South Goa). There's already an existing ward at state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital.

8:00 am: On Wednesday evening, Paytm stated that one of their employees in Gurugram has been detected with coronavirus. The company said that it has extended its support to the family of the patient as well. "As a precautionary measure, we have suggested his team members to get health tests done immediately. We have also advised all our colleagues to work from home for a couple of days while we get our offices sanitized. However, there will not be any impact on our daily operations and Paytm services will continue as usual," the company stated.

Published on: Mar 05, 2020, 7:55 AM IST
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