Centre bans all flights from UK, EU
Thermal screening at SC, Parliament; Centre advocates social distancing for all
In a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in India — with the number of positive vases reaching 114 on Monday — the government has banned the entry of passengers from the United Kingdom, member states of the European Union as well as the European Free Trade Association, and Turkey. The airlines have been asked not to board passengers from these nations with effect from
1200 GMT on March 18 and enforce this at the port of initial departure.
The government has also said passengers coming from or transiting through the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait will need compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days. This too will be effective from March
18. The government said that both these instructions are temporary measures and will be in force till March 31 and will be reviewed subsequently.
After a meeting of the Group of Ministers, the government has issued an advisory asking all educational institutions, gyms, etc to be shut and travel to be avoided as a part of “social distancing” measures.
With four new cases detected on Monday, the total number of positive cases of Covid-19 in India is now 114. Out of this, 17 persons have been discharged, and there have been two deaths. One each fresh case was reported from Maharashtra, Odisha, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala.
However, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed that three more people have tested positive in the state on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 24. The contact tracing activity of these positive cases has led to the identification of over 5,200 people, who are kept under surveillance, the health ministry said.
In Agra, a 25-year-old woman, whose husband in Bengaluru is hospitalised with coronavirus, has tested positive for Covid19, three days after she fled from a hospital without telling the authorities, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there has been a coordinated response to the coronavirus outbreak and asserted that “no stone is being left unturned” to ensure that people remain healthy. “Our doctors, nurses, healthcare workers are putting in great efforts. They are out there, helping people. We will always cherish their contribution... Responsible citizens can add great strength to the fight against Covid-19. I am sure our citizens will not do any thing that puts the lives of others in danger,” Mr Modi said in a series of tweets.
A Group of Ministers took stock of the situation and preparedness on Monday, and an advisory with regard to “social distancing” was issued, asking the states to close down all educational establishments (schools, universities, etc), gyms, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres.
Students were advised to stay at home and avail of online education wherever possible. It also suggested that private sector organisations and employers should encourage people to work from home and meetings, as far as feasible, should be done through video conferences.
People were urged to maintain at least a onemetre distance from each other.
While asking people to avoid unnecessary movement in public places, the advisory urged people to put off all non-essential social and cultural gatherings and keep already planned weddings to a limited gathering.
Similarly, the government has advised states to keep off sports and other activities and regulate mass gatherings to avoid overcrowding.
Several states have already taken these measures, and on Monday Delhi announced shutting down spas, pubs, nightclubs, weekly markets and all gatherings of 50 or more people.
In Delhi, thermal screening was carried out at the Supreme Court and in Parliament. Thermal screening of passengers in trains and railway stations has also begun in several places, and trains are being sanitised. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee banned the entry of foreigners who haven’t completed their 15-day stay in India in all gurdwaras to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.
Assam too ordered the shutting of protected areas in the state and asked all offices and institutes to stop using fingerprint-based attendance systems. The Andaman and Nicobar administration announced the shutting down of its beaches and all other tourist spots from March 16 till 26, and tourists have been asked to avoid going to the islands during this period.
In Rajasthan doctors have said that a combination of two anti-HIV drugs has proved crucial in the treatment of Covid positive cases. Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said the patients’ condition improved after they were administered the anti-HIV drugs.
Three of the four patients in the state have now been declared coronavirus-free.