Coronavirus Update: Number Of Cases Hits 29 In India, Government Amps Up Surveillance

On Wednesday evening a Paytm employee who recently returned from a vacation in Italy reported positive for the virus. This development comes after the Union Health Ministry earlier on Wednesday told that 16 of the group of 23 Italian tourists who travelled to Rajasthan last month have been tested positive. Samples were collected from the Italian nationals on Tuesday after one of them had tested positive on Tuesday and his wife showed initial symptoms. Their Indian driver who accompanied them have also been tested positive.

The Delhi patient had recently gone to Italy, which is emerging as another hub for the outbreak. Six of his family members in Agra then contracted the virus from him. All of them have been quarantined.

On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh government set up an 18-member committee led by the health minister Sidharth Nath Singh to monitor the overall situation in the state. Strict directives were also sent to all districts to maintain vigil.

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, P.K. Mishra, chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review preparedness and response on the coronavirus outbreak.

"The pro-active measures taken so far which have contained the spread of the virus in India, despite a big population and geographical proximity to the epicentre of the disease, were appreciated by all. At the same time, it was decided to further enhance the effectiveness of the steps taken by adopting a pan-government approach, in partnership with the states," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"Two important changes since yesterday to further enhance our level of preparedness, firstly introduction of universal screening at all international airports and sea-ports through use of thermal imagery equipment, secondly filling of declaration forms of places visited by tourists and travellers returning from abroad is being made mandatory," the statement added.

The meeting also decided to rapidly implement opening of proper testing, isolation and quarantine facilities across the country, down to the district level, in partnership with the state governments.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the virus outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said they would not celebrate Holi or hold Holi Milan gatherings.

Globally, there are more than 95,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and over 3,200 have died across 70 countries. In China, over 3,000 people have died from the virus, and there are over 80,000 confirmed cases. Outside China, South Korea has the highest number of cases with 5,766 infections and 35 deaths. With over 3,000 infections and 107 deaths, Italy is the third worst-affected. All Italian schools and universities will be shut till March 15.

After California reported its first fatality, the state declared a coronavirus emergency. The total death toll rose to 11 in the US.