On the backdrop of rapidly rising number of positive cases, the Delhi government on Thursday announced to shut all the primary school in the capital city till March 31. According to reports, a similar decision is likely to be taken for the secondary schools in Delhi post the examinations are concluded. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also cancelled his scheduled visit to Brussels in Belgium for the India-European Union summit.
The foreign ministry said both nations agreed to this in view of the outbreak. The India-EU summit which was slated to be held later this month and will now be rescheduled. With the scare of the deadly disease which started its grip from China's Wuah City, Coronavirus has now knocked doors of as many as 60 countries across the world.
Here Are 10 Latest Update Of The Day On Coronavirus From Across India:
1. A man from Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region with a recent travel history to Iran has tested positive for novel Coronavirus. According to reports, the patient hails from Chhattisgarh. Till Wednesday, 29 people, including 16 Italian tourists, tested positive for Coronavirus. The list includes the first three cases in the country from Kerala last month. The three persons have been discharged following recovery.
2. With number of Coronavirus cases rising in the country, the Delhi government on Thursday suspended biometric attendance in its offices. Through a circular, Deputy Secretary of the Delhi government Promila Mitra has asked all Deputy Secretaries and Section Officers to "Kindly get biometric attendance of all officers/officials of your department suspended till further orders in view of the Coronavirus threat, which causes respiratory infection and is contagious and can also spread via touch of common objects."
3. Indian medical team is in Iran and the authorities here are working on the logistics with their Iranian counterparts for the return of the Indians stranded there in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country.
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4. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan sought to allay fears saying the government is taking all steps to prevent spread of Coronavirus and the scale of interventions has been increased in alignment with the evolving situation in India where 28,529 people have been brought under community surveillance and monitoring.
5. Health Ministry also said that India has imposed additional visa restrictions on people travelling from or having visited Italy and South Korea, making it mandatory for them to submit certificate of having tested negative for Covid-19 from laboratories authorised by the health authorities of their countries.
6. Amid reports of the Coronavirus outbreak in China affecting the Indian pharma industry, Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Sadanand Gowda said that there is no shortage of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for at least three months.
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7. In Uttar Pradesh, 175 people have been tested so far for Coronavirus in the state with 157 of them showing no sign of the infection. Of the remaining 18 tested, six are from Agra and one from Ghaziabad, he said, referring to the seven cases which have tested positive.
8. Maharashtra government on Thursday said no case of Coronavirus infection has been found in the state and there was no cause for panic, but caution was necessary for the next eight to ten days. At Nagpur and Pune airports, about 70,000 passengers have undergone thermal checking and 90 of them showed symptoms of the disease. But 83 of these patients eventually tested negative for the virus while the lab reports of seven people were awaited.
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9. As many as 16,076 crew members and passengers onboard ships from China or having travelled to Coronavirus-hit countries have been scanned and not allowed to disembark at Indian ports as a precautionary step. However, all possible assistance and help are being provided to them -- onboard 452 ships anchored at designated places -- as per WHO guidelines in case of any fever or symptoms, a shipping ministry official told news agency PTI.
10. Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has asked all states and union territories to undertake a massive awareness campaign on novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) among students across the country.
(With inputs from agencies)