Coronavirus update: Over 9,400 people under surveillance, no new case reported in India

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday said more than 9,400 people are presently under community surveillance in 32 states and union territories after the outbreak of deadly novel Coronavirus. The containment and prevention activities are being taken up on utmost priority.

"Universal screening for all flights from Singapore and Thailand besides Hong Kong and China is already ongoing at earmarked aero-bridges. The screening of passengers is now on in all 21 airports, International Seaports and border crossings," Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a press statement.

According to the ministry, as of now, 1,818 flights and over 1.97 lakh passengers have been screened at 21 airports. The ministry is extending all the possible support to the states and union territories in order to combat the situation, it added.

A total of 1,510 samples have been tested and 1,507 samples were found negative except for three samples which had tested positive already from Kerala, said the ministry. It added that all the states are continually strengthening their rapid response teams to counter any eventuality.

Also Read: Coronavirus scare in India: Huge capacity to manufacture masks, gloves, but govt yet to place orders

Last week, Kerala had confirmed the third case of coronavirus in India with the third patient testing positive in Kasargod. The third case was a student who recently returned from China like the first two patients of coronavirus detected in different parts of Kerala. All three cases of coronavirus have been reported from Kerala where the government has kept around 2,000 people under observation at different hospitals, quarantine facilities and also homes.

However, in a respite to the government, all 645 people evacuated from China's Wuhan city, who were lodged at the quarantine facilities set up by the Army and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in and around Delhi, have tested negative for coronavirus.

Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: China virus deaths overtake Sars fatalities in 2003, over 800 dead

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus deaths on the Chinese mainland crosses 800 by end of February 8, breaching that of the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003.

The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), have originated from a market in Wuhan, China, has now spread to 28 countries and territories worldwide, with 28,276 confirmed cases and 800 deaths.

By Chitranjan Kumar