India boosts safety measures as coronavirus cases increase
28 infected, 27,000 under observation in different states; Modi, Kovind cancel Holi celebration, all international passengers to undergo screening; task force formed under Kejriwal
India has moved into top security mode as cases of Covid 19 coronavirus infections rose on Wednesday.
President Ram Nath Kovind as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced they will not attend any Holi celebration on March 10, since health experts have warned that large crowds risk spreading the virus.
The Union Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that confirmed cases in India has shot up to 28 while 27,000 people had been placed under community surveillance in different states.
The government said all international passengers, and not just those from the 12 countries listed earlier, will henceforth be screened at the airports for the disease.
The ministry said that a tourist who flew in from Italy has tested positive for coronavirus in Jaipur.
Earlier only two fresh cases of COVID-19 were detected in India on Tuesday: one in New Delhi and the other in Telangana. The patient in Delhi had flown in from Italy. A man who arrived from the mideast was tested positive in Telangana.
Both the patients are under close observation, the ministry said.
A report from Odisha said that an Indian couple who work on a Singaporean cargo ship was admitted to a hospital after the man developed mild fever on arrival at Paradip port from China on Wednesday. The Paradip port officials referred the couple from Uttar Pradesh to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack after screening them.
Officials at the ministry said the ship had started its voyage from China on Feb.15 with 23 crew members on board. It reached Paradip Port on March 1. The ship had travelled to South Korea and Singapore en route.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government was “proactively engaged” in dealing with COVID-19 and Modi was monitoring situation daily.
Javadekar said that masks are not the only solution to stop the spread of coronavirus and is not necessary for everyone. “Wearing masks is not the only solution and is not necessary for everyone. Other things are, keeping your hands clean, taking precautions in public places, and doing namaskar,” Javadekar said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has directed that working medical staff should wear
N95 masks, but regular surgical masks are sufficient for others.
A WHO advisory had said a healthy person needs to wear a mask only if he or she taking care of a person with suspected 2019-ncov infection.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vadhan detailed the media on the cases in India. “A total of 28 COVID-19 cases have been detected in India so far. Among them, one person was from Delhi, six of his relatives in Agra, 16 Italians and their Indian driver, one in Telangana and the three earlier cases in Kerala.”
Vardhan also said that the man who was tested positive in Delhi has infected the six members of his family in Agra and they all are tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
“On conducting contact tracing of the person tested positive in Delhi, we came to know that he infected 6 members of his family who are in Agra. All 6 members tested positive for Coronavirus.”
He also confirmed that 27,000 people had been placed under community surveillance.
“Till yesterday, we have screened about 5.89 lakh passengers at airports, over 15 thousand at major and minor seaports and over 10 lakh at the borders with Nepal. About 27 thousand were under community surveillance until yesterday,” he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who addressed the media on Wednesday said that a task force has been formed under his leadership and its members have been tasked to deal with coronavirus situation as an emergency.
President Ram Nath Kovind has announced that, as a precautionary measure, the Rashtrapati Bhavan will not hold the traditional Holi gatherings this year. Holi, the festival of colours, will be celebrated on March 10.
“With alertness and safeguards, we all can help contain the outbreak of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. In a precautionary measure, the Rashtrapati Bhavan will not hold the traditional Holi gatherings,” he said in a tweet.
Modi said in a tweet: “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.”