Coronavirus live updates: Noida school shuts, exams cancelled

Noida school shut over coronavirus scare

A renowned school in Noida was closed on Tuesday amid coronavirus scare a day after a Class 6 student’s father was detected with the infection. The school located in Sector 135 of Noida was closed on Tuesday for fumigation due to the concerns over the infection. Read full story

Canada asks travelers from Iran to self-isolate due to virus

Canada on Monday asked travelers arriving from Iran- one of the countries hardest hit by the new coronavirus epidemic- to self-isolate at home for 14 days, even if they are not exhibiting any symptoms. Health authorities asked Canadians to avoid any non-essential travel to Iran and the northern region of Italy, which have both emerged as major hotspots for the infection.

Health ministry opens helplines +91-11-23978046 and +91-11-23978046 for advice on coronavirus

Medical team monitoring people who came in contact with coronavirus-hit techie: Karnataka health minister

"It has come to our knowledge that the coronavirus-hit person in Hyderabad had gone from Bengaluru. Therefore, all the members in the house where he had stayed here have been identified and are under watch," health minister B Sriramulu tweeted on late Monday night.

China's crisis wanes as epidemic takes hold in US, elsewhere

China's health ministry announced just 125 new cases detected over the past 24 hours, China's lowest number since Jan. Clusters of disease grew in South Korea, Italy and Iran, and the virus has turned up for the first time in New York, Moscow and Berlin, as well as Latvia, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Jordan and Portugal. Read full story

Mumbai ‘running out’ of sanitizers, but soap and water offer better prevention

Hand sanitizers, which are popular because they can reportedly kill the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19), have become difficult to find in shops in Mumbai and its extended suburbs. Nevertheless, WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise people to frequently wash hands with soap and water or an alcohol based sanitizer as a measure against Covid-19. Read full story

What about screening flyers from hubs like Dubai?

For India, the proverbial elephant in the room are airports in West Asia, which are the most popular transit hubs for passengers flying into India. It’s there that India-bound passengers from airports in Europe, the US, and Africa would possibly mingle with those who have flown in from Iran and Italy before they board their onward connection. Read full story

Hot & humid? It just might be saving India from coronavirus’s worst

India’s weather may have been acting as a shield against Covid-19, which has already taken more than 3,000 lives across the world, believe a section of experts. But they have not ruled out the possibility of a ‘silent transmission’ of nCoV in the country, which might have disastrous consequences. Read full story

Coronavirus symptoms and precautions: All you need to know

'Unprecedented' mental health issues seen in Hong Kong amid virus fears

Medical experts say many in the Asian financial hub are reeling from increased anxiety and an unprecedented level of mental health issues. The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic came after months of tumultuous anti-government protests that had already led to a sharp increase in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they said.

Karnataka health minister calls emergency meet after Covid-19 case in Telangana

S Korea coronavirus cases approach 5,000

South Korea's coronavirus case total- the largest in the world outside China- approached 5,000 Tuesday as authorities reported 477 new cases. Two more people had died, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, taking the toll to 28. Read full story

Say no to a handshake, avoid hugging: How coronavirus is changing global habits

Say no to a handshake, refuse every peck on the cheek and definitely avoid hugging. Instead, try a direct gaze, or maybe a hand gesture. Around the world people are changing their habits at work, home and in worship to reduce the risk of contracting the new coronavirus and prevent it from spreading any further. Read full story

Air India crew told to be in self-imposed quarantine

All crew members of February 25 Vienna-Delhi flight have beebeen asked to stay in isolation at their respective homes for 14 days. A male passenger, who travelled from Vienna to Delhi by this flight, was found to be infected with the coronavirus. Read about this and other developments in India.

US coronavirus death toll rises to six, all in Washington state

Five of the six American fatalities have been from King county, the most populous in Washington state and home to Seattle, a city of more than 700,000 people. The sixth victim was from neighboring Snohomish county, officials said. Read full story

125 new coronavirus cases reported from mainland China

China reported 125 new virus cases on Tuesday, marking the lowest number of new daily infections in six weeks. There were also 31 more deaths, the National Health Commission reported -- all in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, raising the nationwide toll to 2,943. In total, more than 80,000 people have been infected by the new coronavirus in mainland China. Read full story

Two more test positive in India, an Italian tourist in Jaipur is also suspect

The positive cases include a Delhi resident who returned from Italy on February 25 and a 24-year-old man from Telangana who returned from Dubai recently. The suspected case is of an Italian tourist who is quarantined in a hospital in Jaipur. He tested positive for Covid-19 in the first test but health ministry officials are waiting for re-confirmation. Read full story

World 'in uncharted territory', WHO says

Coronavirus is now spreading much more rapidly outside China than within the country, leading the world into uncharted territory, but the outbreak can still be contained, World Health Organization said on Monday. Almost nine times as many cases had been reported in the past 24 hours beyond China than inside, WHO said. Read full story

Hong Kong to bring back 533 stranded citizens from Wuhan, reports Reuters.