Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Modi to hold video meet with SAARC leaders on COVID-19; confirmed cases in India at 84

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08:36 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

211 Indian students rescued from Milan

The 211 Indian students stranded in Italy's Milan have been evacuated on Sunday. An Air India flight carried them along with seven compassionate cases. The Indian consulate in Milan thanked "those who helped in the difficult situation" — including Italian authorities and the Air India team.

The Indian government had sent rescue flights to Milan and Tehran on Saturday to evacuate hundreds of stranded Indians, civil aviation ministry’s joint secretary Rubina Ali said.

08:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Sarbananda Sonowal reviews steps to prevent pandemic in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday reviewed the preparedness and monitoring mechanism of the health department to check the spread of novel coronavirus in the state. During the review, special focus was given to the measures deployed at the state’s airports to screen passengers.

"Though no cases have been detected in the state, utmost care and precaution should be taken to keep the state aloof from novel coronavirus infection," Sonowal said.

08:12 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Kochi shop sells masks at Rs 2

Amid reports of protective masks and hand sanitisers being sold at extremely high prices amif the coronavirus outbreak, a surgical shop in Kochi sold around 5,000 masks at Rs 2 each in two days. Nadheem, the co-owner of Cochin Sirgicals, told ANI, "We decided to sell masks at reasonable price especially to the common people like hospital staff and students."

Thasleem PK, co-owner of Cochin Surgicals, said that for the last eight years, they sold masks for Rs 2. "The rate has gone up everywhere. We bought the masks at Rs 8 or Rs 10 and are selling at Rs 2, while others are selling at Rs 25."

07:58 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Three arrested for selling substandard sanitisers in Pune

Pune Police arrested three persons on Saturday on charges of selling substandard sanitisers. A case registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Essential Commodities Act.

There are now 17 confirmed cases in Maharashtra - ten patients in Pune, three each in Mumbai and Nagpur and one in Thane. A state of emergency has been declared in these cities and movie theatres and gyms have been shut.

07:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Waiting system discontinued at Tirupati temple

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the administrative body of Lord Balaji temple at Tirumala, has decided to temporarily cancel the waiting system for devotees in compartments in the wake of coronavirus. Devotees will be allotted tokens in different time-slots.

07:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

12 more test positive in Maharashtra 

Maharashtra saw 12 more people testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of cases to 31 as of Saturday. The state government ordered all schools, colleges, coaching classes and shopping malls to shut down till 31 March.

The 'Maharashtra COVID-19 Regulations, 2020' was also issued by the government under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897, which empowers certain officers to issue order for surveillance, prevention, control and treatment of coronavirus.

07:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Multiplexes, cinema halls shut till 31 March: Chhattisgarh Directorate of Public Relations

In an effort to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus, the Chhattisgarh government has ordered closure of cinema halls and multiplexes till 31 March. India has reported two deaths and 84 confirmed cases of COVID-19 till now.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

07:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

Toll climbs to 1,441, confirmed cases at 21,157

The toll due to coronavirus outbreak in Italy rose to 1,441 on Saturday, up almost 14 percent from the 1,266 total reported a day earlier, the civil protection authority said on Saturday.

The total number of people who have tested positive rose to 21,157 from 17,660, the authority said. Italy remains the worst affected country in Europe and second only to China, where the highly infectious virus first emerged.

07:23 (IST)

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Narendra Modi to lead India at SAARC video conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead India at a video conference of all SAARC nations at 5 pm on Sunday to chalk out a joint strategy to combat the novel coronavirus in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs said. 

Calling on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations to set an example for the world, Modi had reached out to the eight-member regional grouping on Friday and pitched for a video conference among its leaders to chalk out a 'strong strategy' to curtail the outbreak.

07:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Number of positive cases rise to 84

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country rose to 84 on Saturday, as per the Union health ministry, prompting the Centre to declare the outbreak a "notified disaster" and issue directives to states specifying list of items and norms of assistance for containment of COVID-19 under their disaster funds.

Under the directives, the Centre made provisions for the costs of measures for quarantine, sample collection and screening as well as for the procurement of labs and equipment to contain the disease.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead India at a video conference of all SAARC nations at 5 pm on Sunday to chalk out a joint strategy to combat the novel coronavirus in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Calling on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations to set an example for the world, Modi had reached out to the eight-member regional grouping on Friday and pitched for a video conference among its leaders to chalk out a 'strong strategy' to curtail the outbreak.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country rose to 84 on Saturday, as per the Union health ministry, prompting the Centre to declare the outbreak a "notified disaster" and issue directives to states specifying list of items and norms of assistance for containment of COVID-19 under their disaster funds.

Under the directives, the Centre made provisions for the costs of measures for quarantine, sample collection and screening as well as for the procurement of labs and equipment to contain the disease.

The Centre also said that it has begun working on framing guidelines for handling the bodies of those who die of the disease amid a controversy over the cremation of the 68-year-old woman who died in Delhi after being infected with novel coronavirus.

Two persons — a 76-year-old man from Karnataka and a 68-year-old woman in Delhi — have died from coronavirus, which has been declared a global pandemic by WHO and has claimed over 5,000 lives across the world.

Highest number of reported cases in Maharashtra

Health officials disinfect a street as part of measure to contain coronavirus pandemic in Jammu. PTI

According to the Union health ministry, Kerala has reported 19 positive cases, Maharashtra 14, Uttar Pradesh 11, Delhi seven, Karnataka six, Ladakh three, Jammu and Kashmir two, and Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab one case each. The total number of 84 confirmed cases also includes 17 foreigners — 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian, it said. Of them, seven persons who tested positive including five from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Rajasthan and Delhi have been discharged after treatment, a senior health ministry official said.

However, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday pegged the number of positive cases in the state at 26, with four new cases reported in Mumbai and its adjoining areas and two in Yavatmal district.

A 71-year-old man, who had returned from Saudi Arabia and was suspected to have coronavirus infection, died during treatment in Buldhana district on Saturday afternoon. He was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. Minister Tope said it was not yet confirmed if the deceased was infected by the coronavirus.

Of the new patients confirmed in Mumbai, one is a resident of the city while others are from Kamothe, Vashi and Kalyan, all peripheral towns. All are admitted to Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai and their condition is stable, PTI quoted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) deputy director, health, Daksha Shah  as saying.

Earlier in the day, two persons who had recently returned from Dubai were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Maharashtra's Yavatmal city.

Thus, so far across the state, ten coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Pune, eight in Mumbai, four in Nagpur, two in Yavatmal and one each in Thane and Ahmednagar, taking the total to 26 — the highest number of confirmed cases reported from any state. Sixteen of the confirmed Covid-19 patients had returned from Dubai, four from USA, one each from France and the Phillipines while four had no foreign travel history but had come in contact with other infected persons, the health minister said.

In Rajasthan, a 24-year-old man who had recently returned from Spain tested positive for coronavirus in Jaipur, taking the number of confirmed cases in the western state to four, including an Italian couple.

"The 24-year-old male who returned from Spain on 14 March has tested positive today. He flew to Delhi from Madrid and then from Delhi to Jaipur in an Air India flight," PTI quoted Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Rohit Kumar Singh as saying.

"We are getting the manifest of both the flights and have started extensive local contact tracing," he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded its seventh case, with the son of the woman who passed away on Friday, testing positive for the novel coronavirus, the health department of the city government said. The 46-year-old man, a resident of Rajasthan, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday and was kept in isolation at the Safdarjung hospital after being quarantined at an Army camp in Manesar, it said, adding that he was an evacuee from Italy.

Some states close schools, colleges, ban public gatherings

In light of the spread of the disease, several states ordered closure of schools, colleges, public institutions and cinema halls. The Jammu and Kashmir administration issued prohibitory orders in Kishtwar and Ramban districts, restricting assembly of more than five persons at any public place. The Goa government also announced closure of casinos, swimming pools and pubs from Sunday midnight. The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) suspended all classes, including sessional tests, till 22 March as a precautionary measure. All conferences, workshops, educational tours and sports programmes have also been postponed till 31 March, though examinations of the university and schools will be held according to schedule.

The Punjab government ordered a shutdown of cinema halls and banned public gatherings including cultural events till further notice to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Maharashtra government ordered all educational institutions in urban areas to remain close till 31 March. The state health minister also said that examinations of classes one to nine will be postponed if they are being held currently, only the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams will take place as per the schedule. In the evening, Tope also announced closure of shopping malls across the state till month-end. Grocery stores which sell commodities of daily need will remain open, he said.

West Bengal sealed its border with Bhutan, restricting movement of goods and travellers. The move came after Bhutan issued a notification to the administration of neighbouring Alipurduar district informing it about a halt in tourist and business activities in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Four journalists of two news channels have been home quarantined in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, after they came in contact with relatives of the recently deceased coronavirus victim, Karnataka medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar said.

Centre declares notified disaster, makes provisions for SDRF funds

The Centre, too, initiated a host of measures aimed at fighting the virus. Special Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Sanjeeva Kumar, said more than 4,000 people who had come in contact with those testing positive have been identified through contact tracing and are under surveillance. He further said that there have been cases of people not willing to be quarantined despite coming in contact with people testing positive.

He informed that a Mahan Air flight bringing back Indian passengers from Iran will land in Mumbai on Saturday midnight. A special Air India flight is also being sent to Milan in Italy on Saturday to bring back Indian students, he added.

Kumar said all essential facilities like community surveillance, quarantine, isolation wards, trained manpower, rapid response teams are being strengthened further in all states and Union Territories.

The government informed that 12,29,363 passengers have been screened from 11,406 flights at the 30 designated airports. In addition, instructions to enforce quarantine for all incoming passengers as per the guidelines are being implemented, Kumar stated.

The home ministry declared the outbreak as a "notified disaster" and said funds earmarked under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) can be utilised for procurement of essential equipment and measures taken to quarantine people. It issued a two-page directive to all states specifying "list of items and norms of assistance for containment of COVID-19 virus in India, eligible from SDRF".

According to the directive, SDRF funds will also be used to pay for additional testing centres and the cost of protective equipment for police, healthcare and municipal authorities, as well as that of thermal scanners and other necessary equipment for government hospitals, reported NDTV.

India suspended most land border crossing points with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar from 15 March midnight and with Pakistan indefinitely from 16 March midnight, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

The government also postponed the Padma Award ceremonies scheduled for 26 March and 3 April, a Home Ministry official said.

The last rites of the woman who died in New Delhi were performed at the CNG crematorium at Nigambodh ghat under supervision of medical authorities. Doctors from the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital in Delhi and from MCD oversaw the funeral after the crematorium staff reached out to the authorities seeking directives on ensuring that the infection didn't spread from the body. The health ministry said it has begun working on framing guidelines for handling the bodies of those who die of the disease.

Many states closed down schools, malls cinema halls and banned public gatherings. PTI

Though it is unlikely that coronavirus infection could spread from handling of a body, the guidelines are being drafted to dispel any misconception and raise awareness regarding spread of the disease from a deceased, a health ministry official said.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at an event in Hyderabad said domestic passenger traffic was down by 10 to 15 percent owing to the novel coronavirus.

The US Embassy and Consulates in India cancelled all visa appointments from 16 March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The RSS suspended a three-day annual meeting of its highest decision-making body scheduled to begin on Saturday in Bengaluru. Infosys evacuated one of its satellite office buildings in Bengaluru after the Karnataka government advised IT and other professionals working in air-conditioned places to work from home for time being, for about a week, to prevent the spread of the virus.

Modi bats for joint SAARC strategy to combat virus

The External Affairs Ministry announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead India at a video conference of all SAARC nations on Sunday at 5 pm to chalk out a joint strategy to fight coronavirus in the region. The prime minister said the coming together of SAARC leaders will lead to effective outcomes and benefit citizens in the fight against coronavirus.

Earlier in the day Modi took to Twitter to share guidelines on home quarantine issued by the health ministry. "Some important information here. Do read," he said while sharing the guidelines. The health ministry said home quarantine is meant "to protect you and your loved ones".

Suspected patients flea hospitals

In Kerala, an American couple who allegedly gave the slip to police after being admitted to a coronavirus isolation ward following complaints of fever and cough, was traced to Kochi airport and placed under observation.

They had come to Kochi from London via Doha on 9 March, attended a Kathakali show in the port city, went for a houseboat ride the next day at Alapzuha, stayed at a Fort Kochi resort, before going to Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram and returned to Alapuzha, police said.

In Maharashtra, four persons, who were kept in an isolation ward at a government-run hospital in Nagpur for suspected coronavirus infection, returned home even as the hospital staff requested them against doing so as their test results were awaited. They, however, returned later and the tests were also negative for coronavirus.

After Italy, Spain to initiate lockdown

According to news agency AFP, the number of novel coronavirus cases across the world crossed  1,50,0 00on Saturday, with over 5,700 deaths.

Health authorities in Spain said that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, half of them in capital Madrid, representing a national increase of over 1,500 in 24 hours. AP reported that the Spain government had decided to impose a lockdown similar to that of Italy's. The report said the government is set to announce that it is placing tight restrictions on movements and closing restaurants and other establishments.

According to a draft of the government order, people will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, commute to work, go to medical centers and banks, or take trips related to the care for the young and the elderly. Those limitations will take hold at Monday at 8:00 a.m.

Meanwhile in the US, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will broaden its European travel ban, adding the United Kingdom and Ireland to its list, and was considering imposing restrictions on travel within the US to areas hit hard by the coronavirus spread.

The move came hours after the House approved legislation to provide direct relief to Americans suffering physically, financially and emotionally from the coronavirus pandemic. That followed Trump's declaration of a national emergency, freeing up money and resources to fight it, and threw his support behind the congressional aid package.

With inputs from agencies



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2U2P4nk
FP Staff

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