Health minister says all international passengers will be screened at airports
In this handout photo taken on March 3 and released by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) quarantine facility, Chhawla, on March 4 Italian tourists interact with medical staff after being put in preventive isolation at the ITBP quarantine facility in Chhaw
India has so far reported 28 positive cases of Coronavirus, which includes 16 Italian tourists, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday and announced that all international passengers will henceforth be screened at airports for the disease. Later e-commerce payment system Paytm reported an employee in Gurgaon, who had been to Italy, had tested positive for COVID-19. A Health Ministry official confirmed this Coronavirus case.
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Earlier, travellers from only 12 countries were being screened at the airports. Vardhan held a meeting with Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain and civic body officials on Wednesday and urged them to augment facilities of isolation wards in city hospitals if more cases of Coronavirus get recorded.
"We have to work as a unit to combat the COVID-19 threat to the nation. A coordinated, collective effort in a mission mode is required," he said at the meeting. Giving a breakup of those who tested positive for the virus at a conference, the Union health minister said of the total 28 COVID-19 cases in India, one is a 45-year-old man from Delhi-s Mayur Vihar and six are his relatives from Agra whom he recently visited.
They are all being treated at the Safdarjung hospital. A 24-year-old man from Hyderabad has also tested positive for Coronavirus and has been isolated. While an Italian man and his wife are being treated at Jaipur-s SMS Hospital, 14 members of the group and their Indian driver have been quarantined at the ITBP camp in Chhawla. Three schools in the national capital and adjoining areas have announced holidays for as precautionary measure to prevent spread of the Coronavirus, while two schools advanced spring break.
-Stop breath analyser tests-
In view of the Coronavirus outbreak, Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga has written to the Delhi police commissioner, calling for suspension of breath analyser tests for alcohol consumption by the police.
17
No. of Indians affected by COVID-19 abroad
17 Indians abroad infected: MEA
Seventeen Indians have been infected with coronavirus abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs MEA said on Wednesday. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said 16 cases were reported from Japan on the cruise ship and one from the UAE. He said the 16 Indians in Japan are being treated at onshore medical facilities in that country.
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