Coronavirus cases in India swell to 28 as 22 more test positive
04 Mar 2020
The number of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in India rose to 28, with 22 more cases confirmed today, the largest number of cases reported in a day, union health minister Harsh Vardhan has said.
The 22 COVID-19 cases include 16 Italian tourists who had travelled with their countryman, who initially tested positive. The Indian driver of the tourists has also tested positive.
Addressing the media about the recent rise in the COVID-19 cases in India, the minister said, "From now on, all flights and passengers will be part of universal screening, not just those to the 12 countries which we had listed earlier."
14 Italians and one Indian, who were part of the team of the Jaipur COVID-19 confirmed case, are also initially confirmed positive for COVID-19. Another case in Jaipur, wife of the already confirmed Italian patient, has been confirmed for COVID-19.
Six people in Agra, who are family members of the COVID19 confirmed case from Delhi, are confirmed for COVID-19.
Six positive cases were reported in Agra. They are all relatives of the Delhi-based man who tested positive for COVID-19.
In addition, two cases with high viral load have been detected in Telangana.
Meanwhile, tech giant Intel said one of its employees in Bengaluru had "potentially been exposed" to the coronavirus and is currently under quarantine.
According to the health ministry, about 5,89,000 people were screened at airports and over 15,000 people at minor and major seaports and over 10 lakh at the border of Nepal, till Tuesday.
Last month, three cases were recorded in Kerala. All three patients have now recovered and were discharged from the respective hospitals.
The Union Health Minister has requested all hospitals in Delhi to develop good quality isolation wards, in order to stay prepared for more coronavirus cases.
Leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda have said they will not celebrate Holi or hold any Holi Milan function in view of the novel Coronavirus outbreak.
Global tally following the coronavirus outbreak on Monday rose above 3,000 with the new count in China mainland rising to 2,912.
The deadly virus, that originated in China late last year, continues to spread around the world.