The symptoms of the coronavirus may appear any time between 2 and 14 days after the exposure.
Highlights
- 15 Italians part of a group of 23 Italian tourists who were in Rajasthan
- One of 23 Italian tourists was tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday
- His wife is also under watch for suspected infection
All international flights and passengers in India will now have to undergo screening, and not just the 12 countries listed earlier, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said today. Over 5,89,000 people have been screened at airports in two months, over 10 lakh screened at borders with Nepal and around 27,000 are currently under community surveillance, he added.
Of the total 28 coronavirus cases in India, one person is from Delhi; six others are his family members from Agra who apparently contracted infection from him. A Bengaluru-based techie in Hyderabad tested positive on Monday. First three coronavirus patients in the country from Kerala, who contracted last month, have been cured.
Fourteen of the 16 infected Italian tourists are quarantined in Delhi. They were a part of a group of 23 Italians who traveled to Rajasthan last month. One of them - currently in Jaipur - tested positive on Tuesday; his wife has also tested positive. This is the biggest group in the country to be infected with coronavirus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning tweeted that he would not participate in any Holi events this year as experts have advised against "mass gatherings to avoid coronavirus spread". "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," he wrote.
On Tuesday, PM had said that he "an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus" and "there is no need to panic".
According to sources, the Delhi patient was not screened at airport because he flew in from Austria, where the outbreak has not been declared serious. The crew of the Air India flight that flew him last week has been asked to stay in isolation at their homes for 14 days. A similar advisory has been issued to other passengers.
The affected passenger in Hyderabad -a techie from Bengaluru - had travelled on an IndiGo flight on February 20. The crew of the flight have been placed under observation.
India has now stepped up preventative measures including barring visitors from Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, except diplomats and officials from international bodies. The Union Health Ministry has advised people not to travel to China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. It has also asked all citizens to avoid non-essential travel to other affected nations.
Hundreds of Indians, including fishermen and students, are stranded in Iran where coronavirus is spreading fast and nearly 1,000 are infected. The government said today that if the Iranian government lent its support, a testing facility could be set up there as well. to help bring back Indian citizens after a thorough screening
The novel coronavirus spreads through contact with droplets spread during coughing and sneezing, doctors say. Besides keeping contact to a minimum with an infected person, the preventive measures include frequent washing of hands and use of hand sanitisers. Fresh tissues should be used while sneezing and coughing and then discarded, to ensure the virus does not spread.
