Positive cases 84; third Covid-19 casualty feared
The number of coronavirus positive cases in the country has risen to 84 which includes two deaths one each from New Delhi and Karnataka.
A 71-year-old suspected coronavirus patient died during treatment in Buldhana district on Saturday afternoon. The septuagenarian, who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Concerned with the rising cases across the country, the home ministry said that grants earmarked under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) can be utilised to procure essential equipment and take measures to quarantine people in order to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took to Twitter to share the health ministry’s guidelines on home quarantine. Educational institutions in several states, meanwhile, suspended classes from a week to till further order.
The Union Home Ministry has issued a twopage directive to all states, specifying list of items eligible for SDRF and norms of assistance.
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The home ministry had issued a notification declaring coronavirus a ‘notified disaster’ and said `4 lakh will be given to the family of deceased persons, but later revised it.
The Union Home Ministry has issued a twopage directive to all states, specifying list of items eligible for SDRF and norms of assistance.
As part of the first head defined under ‘measures for quarantine, sample collection and screening’, the latest sanction will include provisions for temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care for people affected by the virus and sheltered in quarantine camps.
A state executive committee will regulate the utilisation of funds in this context from the SDRF, which is funded by the Union Home Ministry. As part of the second authorisation meant for procurement of essential items, the directive said that cost of setting up additional testing laboratories with the government and the cost of consumables can be drawn from SDRF. Personal protection equipment for healthcare, municipal, police and fire authorities can also be bought on SDRF funds.
The officials maintained that more than 4,000 people who had come in contact with the 84 positive cases are under surveillance.
Also, 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. As per government data, the total number of 84 confirmed cases includes 17 foreigners — 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian.
In Maharashtra, a day after deciding to shut down gyms, cinema halls and swimming pools, the government on Saturday decided to shut all malls, schools, colleges, training centres and anganwadis of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) in all major cities till March
31. However, Classes 10 and 12 and university exams will be held as per the schedule and grocery stores, which sell commodities of daily need will remain open. The public health department of the state sent a circular in this connection to the higher and technical education and school education department Saturday. Meanwhile, the number of patients suffering from coronavirus has risen to
26 in the state.
The Aligarh Muslim University suspended all classes till March 22. Institutes in Pune and neighbouring PimpriChinchwad area which are affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University will remain closed in view of the coronavirus outbreak till further orders. Panjab University also decided to suspend classes till March 31 in the wake of coronavirus scare.