Delhi woman 2nd Covid victim
Total number of cases 82 ■ States in shutdown mode ■ IPL to begin April 15
A 68-year-old woman died of coronavirus in Delhi on Friday in the second death linked to the global coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The woman, who had contacted infection from her Geneva-returned son who too has tested positive, was suffering from co-morbid conditions, hypertension and diabetes, officials said.
Her death comes a day after a 76-year-old man was confirmed to have died in Karnataka of coronavirus.
Warning against mass panic, the Union health ministry said the situation in India so far is “not a health emergency”.
On Friday, fresh cases were reported from NCR, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka, taking the total number of positive coronavirus cases reported till date in India to 82.
An employee of a private firm in Noida tested positive for coronavirus. He had traveled to France and China, reports said. Around 700 employees of the private company he worked with have been asked to work from home. A Google India employee from Bengaluru has also been diagnosed with coronavirus infection. The 26-year-old software engineer returned from Greece in the first week of March.
A total of 4,000 people who came in contact with 82 positive cases are under rigorous observation across the country, besides 42,000 people who are under community surveillance.
Even as the Indian, notouch greeting “Namaste” goes viral globally, more and more Indian states on Friday announced strong measures to enforce “social distancing” in order to contain the spread of novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Though the Union health ministry said there is no need to panic as infected persons are getting cured and leaving hospitals, as a matter of precaution several states like Karnataka, Delhi, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar and Puducherry have started closing down schools, colleges, cinema halls, gyms, swimming polls and even parks to prevent crowds. Several states have also ordered the closure of malls, pubs, zoos, and many sporting events have been cancelled. The BCCI on Friday announced suspension of the IPL cricket tournament that was scheduled to start on March 29. It will now kick off on April 15. The Supreme Court said it will hear only urgent matters and no persons except concerned lawyers will be allowed inside the courtrooms.
On Friday the Indian government also announced the closure of 18 of 37 land border crossing points with neighbouring countries till April 15. Out of the 19 crossing points that will remain functional, four are with Nepal — Raxaul, Sunauli, Banbasa and Raniganj, and two with Bhutan — Jaigaon and Daranga, since movement of citizens of Bhutan and Nepal is visa free.
India has also decided to stop the IndiaBangladesh bus and passenger train services from Friday night till April 15 and close all ■
■ Continued from Page 1 border haats along the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Myanmar borders. The movement of pilgrims through the Kartarpur Corridor continues to operate and on Friday 357 Indian pilgrims visited the holy gurudwara in Pakistan.
As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau became first head of the state to be in quarantine after his wife tested positive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a video conference of Saarc leaders to chalk out a joint strategy and set an example for the world. “Our planet is battling the Covid-19 novel coronavirus. At various levels, governments and people are trying their best to combat it,” Mr Modi tweeted.
India on Friday briefed representatives of more than 130 countries and international organisations, including 100 heads of mission on proactive steps taken by the government to combat the Covid19 pandemic and provide clarifications related to government advisory on travel restrictions.
India has already invoked Epidemic Disease Act to ensure health advisories are enforceable. The Act gives power to the state to detain a person and forcefully quarantine or put them on medication in the larger interest of the country to prevent a major outbreak of a disease. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has asked states and Union Territories to ensure that masks and sanitisers are not sold above MRP.
“These Acts will empower health agencies by giving them legal power for prevention,” said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary in Union health ministry. At the same time he added that coronavirus is not a health emergency.
However, on Friday several states followed Delhi and announced the shutting down of places of mass gathering. The BCCI also announced suspension of the IPL cricket tournament that was scheduled to start on March 29. Already the two remaining ODIs between India and South Africa were called off due to coronavirus threat. Delhi deputy chief minister announced halting of all sporting events in the city.
Karnataka, which reported country’s first Covid-19 related death, announced a complete lock-down of malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for at least a week. Chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa also issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, marriage events and birthday parties. “We will close all universities for a week in the entire state,” he said. Incidentally, a Google employee in Bengaluru, who had returned from Greece, was diagnosed with Covid-19.
In Kalaburagi, 46 people who were in direct contact with the 76-year-old man who died on Tuesday night were placed under quarantine, district officials said, adding that 31 were categorised as “high risk” and 13 as “low risk”. Four family members of the man have displayed flu symptoms and their swab samples have been sent for testing.