Coronavirus: 39 infected in India, PM Modi cancels Bangladesh visit | Developments

India continued to battle fast-spreading coronavirus after five fresh cases -- including three who evaded screening on return from Italy -- were reported in Kerala, prompting the government on Sunday to sound a renewed alert. With this, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has spiked to 39.

All the five, who tested positive for the infection days after the country's first three coronavirus patients from the state recovered, are relatives and hail from Ranni in Pathnamthitta district, Health minister, KK Shailaja said.

The Left front government intensified efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by tracking persons with whom the three latest infected people came into contact since arrival and put the state on high alert, especially in Pathanamthitta district where all public programmes and religious gatherings have been called off.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked everyone to follow the guidelines issued by the health department in the wake of the fresh coronavirus cases.

Those who have come from nations affected by the virus, should get in touch through the telephone with district medical officers or government hospitals without fail.

People who come to know about such cases also should inform authorities, the chief minister said in a Facebook post.

Fresh cases reported after successful treatment of the first three coronavirus patients in Kerala

The five fresh cases have been reported days after the southern state had successfully treated India's first three coronavirus patients-- medical students from Wuhan who have been discharged from hospitals. Their home quarantine period is also over.

The three overseas returnees -- a couple in their 50s and their 24-year-old son -- had taken two connecting flights from Venice in Italy and arrived in Kochi international airport on February 29, but did not report their foreign travel to officials authorities and evaded screening, Shailaja said.

Two others affected are their close relatives staying at their home in Pathnamthitta.

Ranni MLA Raju Abraham said the affected persons had attended a wedding, gone for shopping, went to the office of a police officer and it is assumed visited at least 300 friends and relatives near their home.

They went to a taluk hospital where they were first examined by medical personnel without using any masks or gloves, Abraham told PTI.

The medical superintendent later examined them after taking precautions and they were directed to get admitted to the isolation ward, which they refused at first.

Later, they were forced to get admitted to the general hospital's isolation ward on March 6 and tests confirmed late Saturday that they had contracted the virus.

As a matter of abundant caution, the infected couple's parents, in their 90s, have also been hospitalised at Pathnamthitta.

Failure to inform authorities about travelled history and symptoms would be considered a crime

The health department said failure to inform authorities about travelled history and symptoms would be considered a crime, while the state police separately said it was "illegal and punishable" if anyone hid such information.

"The Italy-returned family hid their travel details from the health authorities. Such practices have to seen as a crime. Those who come from countries like Iran, Italy, South Korea and China should report to the health department immediately," Shailaja said.

"What they have done is irresponsible. But our concern now is to save their lives. Those who have come from corona affected countries should inform the health department immediately," she said.

Those who come from abroad should be in house surveillance for 28 days, a government release said.

The government released the flight details of the three people who travelled from Venice-Doha-Kochi. They had taken the

Venice-Doha Qatar Airlines QR 126 flight on February 29. For one-and half-hours, they were at the Doha airport and took another flight QR514 of Qatar Airlines to Kochi from where they reached their home in Pathnamthitta by a car.

All the passengers who travelled in the two flights should get in touch with health authorities, Shailaja said.

Travancore Devaswom Board has asked devotees not to visit the temple in case of virus symptoms

With the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district is all set to open for monthly pujas on March 13, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages it, asked devotees not to visit the temple if they have any symptoms of the virus.

Shocked over the official report that the three infected people had evaded health screening, Ernakulam district administration on Sunday took stock of the arrangements at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

After a high-level meeting held at the airport, Ernakulam Collector S Suhas requested all co-passengers of the three people to get in touch with authorities as early as possible.

Airport sources said there were 182 passengers on the Doha-Kochi flight, which the trio had taken. An operation has been launched for tracing all passengers on the flight and their secondary contacts and the employees who attended to them on February 29, a CIAL statement said.

Also, a massive disinfestation drive would be initiated from CIAL's side, it said.

The report of the five new cases came a day ahead of the all-women "Attukal Pongal" festival in Kerala on Monday when thousands of women from various parts of the state and outside, including foreigners, are expected to participate.

Those having cold, sore throat or showing any other symptoms of the virus should offer pongala in front of their homes instead of in crowded places, the Health Minister said.

Any person with travel history to COVID-19 must remain in isolation

An advisory from board said any person with travel history to COVID-19 affected countries or person with contact with such a traveller, whether they have symptoms or not, must remain in home isolation and offer pongala prayers at their respective places of stay.

"Their self isolation is the real prayer for the good of the community, their family and themselves, a statement said.

Healthy people need not wear masks, but do not forget to wash your hands!

Amid coronavirus outbreak, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday there was no need for the healthy to wear masks, but asked people to wash their hands with soap frequently.

His comments came amid a surge in demand for masks and hand sanitizers in the market after three confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi.

"If a healthy person wears a mask, there are circumstances when one might use their hands to adjust the mask. In such case, you are putting yourself at the risk of getting infected and get exposed," the chief minister said at a presser in reply to a question.

Elaborating on the matter, Dr Nutan Mundeja, the director of Delhi Government Employees Health Scheme, said COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever and cold and asserted that if a healthy person wears a mask, it gives them a false sense of security.

"Everyone should cover their mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing so that no droplets reach another person's eyes, nose or mouth," she said.

"A healthy person is advised not to wear a mask because by doing that, he or she is pre-disposing themselves to chances of infection. It is the social responsibility of all to advise others to wear masks if they are suffering from respiratory diseases," Dr Mundeja said.

NCDC Director Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, suggested people to not wear masks unless required as it gives a false sense of security to the people, and also builds a false narrative in front of the other people, that the person wearing a mask might be infected.

Those who travelled from foreign countries or suffering virus symptoms advised to wear masks

Only those who have travelled from foreign countries or have been diagnosed with the virus or are suffering from cold, must wear masks as advised by the doctor, he said, adding N95 masks are required to be worn by healthcare workers who are collecting samples for testing in the labs, and doctors who are examining the patients.

"In case you are suffering from cold or cold, or have symptoms, then you must wear a mask," Dr Singh said.

He also urged people to avoid public transport in case anyone is going to submit their samples if they detect any such symptoms.

The doctors appealed people to wash their hands frequently, use tissue in case they sneeze or cough to avoid transmission of the virus and not touch unwanted surfaces in public areas.

Delhi has recorded three positive cases of coronavirus -- a 45-year-old man from Mayur Vihar, the Paytm employee who works in Gurgaon and lives in west Delhi and another man from west Delhi with a travel history to Thailand and Malaysia.

West Bengal man returned from Saudi Arabia died in isolation ward on Sunday

A diabetic man died in the isolation ward of a hospital in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Sunday, a day after he was admitted there with suspected symptoms of coronavirus following his return from Saudi Arabia.

According to doctors, he was admitted to the hospital with fever, cough and cold.

Though test results of his blood and swab samples for novel coronavirus were awaited, it can be said that Janarul Haque died probably of diabetes, Director of Health Services Ajay Chakraborty told PTI.

Coronavirus death toll in Italy climbed to 366

Italy, the worst-affected country in Europe, continued to reel from the new coronavirus as the death toll spiked to 366 on Sunday while the number of infections rose by a single-day record of 1,492 to hit 7,375.

Amid the deadly outbreak, Italian Prime Minister announced a sweeping coronavirus quarantine early Sunday, restricting the movements of about a quarter of the country's population in a bid to limit contagions at the epicentre of Europe's outbreak.

Shortly after midnight, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree affecting about 16 million people in the country's prosperous north, including the Lombardy region and at least 15 provinces in neighbouring regions. The extraordinary measures will be in place until April 3.

Iran reported 49 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday

Iran on Sunday reported 49 new deaths from the COVID-19, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the country.

"At least 194 of our compatriots who fell sick with the COVID-19 illness have passed away," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference.

Bangladesh confirmed the first three coronavirus cases on Sunday

Bangladesh -- which was till now not infected -- on Sunday confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus in the country, according to a media report.

The affected-- two men and a woman-- were found positive for the coronavirus infection on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

"Among them, two of the victims had recently returned from Italy while the other is a relative of one of the returnees," Meerjady Sabrina Flora, the director of Institue of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be visiting Dhaka, Bangladesh, in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

The deadly coronavirus, which originated from China, has claimed more than 3,000 lives and has infected more than 1 lakh people globally.

(With inputs from various agencies)

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