India reports 29 coronavirus cases; all international passengers to be screened

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 4

The number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 29, including 16 Italians touring through Rajasthan, the government announced on Wednesday as consternation bordering on panic over the contagious disease with flu like symptoms spread across the country.

A Paytm employee in Gururgam has tested positive for novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. It said the employee had recently returned from a vacation in Italy, one of the worst-hit countries from coronavirus.

Paytm has advised all its employees to work from home for the next couple of days while the Gurugram unit gets sanitised, according to the statement.

With Holi less than a week away on March 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said they would not celebrate the festival of colours or hold any Holi Milan gathering.

President Ram Nath Kovind’s office also said Rashtrapati Bhavan will not hold any Holi gathering.

In a tweet aimed at motivating everyone to avoid mass gatherings PM Modi said he won’t participate in Holi Milan because doctors have advised avoiding mass gatherings on account of COVID19 build up.

Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Hence, this year I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 4, 2020

India has witnessed 25 positive coronavirus cases in a matter of three days. Earlier, there were three confirmed cases of coronavirus from Kerala, who recovered and were discharged. 

The 25 newly positive cases include one in Delhi, one in Telangana, 16 Italian tourists who landed in India on February 21 and their Indian driver; and six family contacts of the Delhi patient.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said in the wake of the spread of the infection India has decided to universally screen passengers from all countries instead of the 12 currently covered.

Further, with several Indians trapped in Iran which is among four nations that have reported the highest number of infections outside China, India is exploring possibilities of establishing a lab in Tehran to screen Indians there before evacuating them back to India.

“One scientist has gone to Iran and three more are going today to explore setting up a lab there for pre-screening Indians to be evacuated,” Vardhan said.

Vardhan said 66 contacts of the New Delhi patient who returned from Italy and 88 contacts of the positive Telangana patient are being traced for quarantine.

Advising respiratory hygiene the minister asked everyone to use the namaste greeting instead of the handshake because the infection spreads by touch.

The Italian group in which 16 Italian tourists have tested positive came to India on February 21 and are now quarantined at ITBP facility in Delhi.

Vardhan said India quarantined them after Italy declined to take them back right now.

The Italian group was infected by the one tourist in Jaipur who tested positive on Tuesday.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said over six lakh people had been screened for coronavirus symptoms in 21 airports.

Briefing reporters, the Information and Broadcasting minister said more than 10 lakh people entering India from the open borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar have also been screened.

While only the virology institute based in Pune is fit for conducting coronavirus tests, the government has now set up 15 more labs and is in the process of establishing 19 additional centres, he said.

“The government is proactively engaged in dealing with coronavirus. The prime minister is monitoring the situation daily,” he said.

Several state governments, including in Rajasthan and Delhi, screened visitors and others for the disease in hotels and guesthouses.

GOI advisory to schools

The central government issued an advisory to schools across the country on Wednesday evening asking them to avoid large gatherings of students during the day and monitor the travel history of staffers and students.

“Any staff or student with a travel history to any novel Coronavirus affected country or in contact with any persons from those countries in the last 28 days should be monitored and home quarantined for 14 days. Class teachers should be alert to any child with signs and symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing and should immediately inform parents to have the child tested. Schools should ask parents not to send the child to school until advised by the threatening doctor,” the advisory said.

It said teachers, staff and students should also be educated about simple measures of hand and respiratory hygiene.

“Avoid touching doors knobs, switches, desk tops, railings and other such surfaces; use foot operated pedal bins for waste; check health status of students and staff in hostels regularly; everyone should cover the mouth while coughing and sneezing and wash hands regularly. Also do not touch eyes, nose and mouth,” the advisory said.

In Lok Sabha 

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan told Lok Sabha that 17 Indians abroad had been infected with coronavirus.

Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Muraleedharan said 16 cases were reported from Japan on the cruise ship and one from the UAE.

He said the 16 Indians in Japan are being treated at onshore medical facilities in that country.

He further said that the government evacuated a total of 766 persons—723 Indian nationals and 43 foreigners—from China.

Similarly, 119 Indians have been brought back to India from the cruise ship in Japan, Muraleedharan said.

“Air India has raised a bill of Rs 5.98 crore for operating two special flights to China and an Indian Air Force flight carrying relief material to China also carried Indian citizens from Wuhan, China on its return journey,” he said.

Muraleedharan said an Indian Air Force flight carrying relief material to China also carried Indian citizens from Wuhan in China on its return journey. Expenditure details are yet to be received from Defence Ministry.

“Expenditure details for the special flight—Japan to India—for evacuation is yet to be received from Air India,” he said.  — With agency inputs