Chennai: Coronavirus cases in India reportedly crossed 200 after fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country. A 69-year-old Italian tourist who had ‘recovered’ from COVID-19 died at a private hospital in Jaipur, officials said. With this, the number of people died in India due to coronavirus has reached five.
The Delhi government has issued advisory for private sector to allow employees to work from home till 31 March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. In a first such case in Punjab, a 26-year-old woman suspected to be suffering from coronavirus was booked for fleeing from the hospital, police said. A Kolkata resident with a recent travel history to the UK tested positive for coronavirus, making it the second confirmed case in West Bengal.
Odisha reported the second confirmed case of novel coronavirus after a man who returned from a COVID-19-affected country tested positive. The Forest Research Institute in Dehradun is under complete lockdown in the wake of three coronavirus positive cases reported from there.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today said coronavirus infections have not reached the ”community level” and asserted the government is trying to use ”good information” in the best manner to deal with the situation. ”We are in touch with everything going on the research
front,” he said.
The Minister told Lok Sabha that there is a well-defined protocol and scientific advice on who needs to be tested for the coronavirus infection.
Measures have been taken for detailed tracing of contacts and that the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) is conducting tests, he said.
Noting that the government is in regular contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Minister said that as per information available, ”I don’t think there is any need for apprehensions”. ”We are in touch with scientists all over the world…ICMR conducting research,” he added.
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So far, three persons have been affected by coronavirus in Tamilnadu. While one person was discharged, the remaining are getting treatment and their condition is said to be stable.
Following the spread of coronavirus, big shops and temples were closed in Tamilnadu today. Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple and Vadapalani Murugan temple were among those that had asked devotees not to visit the places of worship. Already, malls, theatres and educational institutions were closed in the State.
Meanwhile, three persons have been arrested in Erode for spreading rumours about coronavirus through WhatsApp. Sithodu police have arrested Vasudevan, Kamalesh and Varadharaja based on the complaints filed by the public.