Coronavirus in India: The government has suspended all regular visas till April 15 in the wake of Coronavirus scare as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID19 a ‘pandemic’. A statement issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare late on Wednesday said that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till the said date. Apart from this all incoming travelers, including Indians, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after February 15, 2020 will be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days, it said. The move came as the number of Coronavirus cases crossed 60 in the country. Out of the 60 cases, 16 are Italian tourists while the remaining are Indians.
On Tuesday, March 10, there were as many as 8 new cases reported from Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the people to avoid mass gatherings. Six of the eight new cases reported are the primary contacts of the couple and son who had returned from Italy, the European epicentre of the Covid-19.
The government has successfully evacuated 54 Indian nationals stranded in Coronavirus-hit Iran after their swab samples tested negative for the virus. The evacuated people will be quarantined for 14 days at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, a man of Indian origin has died in the United Kingdom due to Covid-19 infection.
Coronavirus is relentless across the world and the numbers are only rising with each passing day. A prominent figure in Boris Jhonson and his administration’s fight against the Coronavirus in the UK, Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has been reported positive. The MP who holds the key position of parliamentary under-secretary of state for health and has gone into a self-imposed quarantine after falling ill on March 6. Italy has seen the death toll from Coronavirus rising to 168. The number of fatalities due to the Covid-19 has crossed 1,000 outside of China.
Check Financial Express Online for the latest updates and news on Coronavirus LIVE. Stay tuned:
The coronavirus outbreak can now be characterised as a pandemic,the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. ‘COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic,’ WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.| READ MORE HERE
All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April 15. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020 at the port of departure, a statement issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said.
All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020 at the port of departure, a statement issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said.
Over 80 people, who returned to Delhi from Italy, have been quarantined at the Army facility in Manesar. Nine foreigners of Indian origin are also among those who have been quarantined. Italy is one of the most affected countries outside China where the deadly Coronavirus originated.
The government in Poland has announced that all educational and cultural facilities in the country will remain closed for next two weeks in the wake Coronavirus. “The fight against the spread of the virus is a priority for us,” nes agency AFP quoted Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki telling reporters. So far, 25 coronavirus cases have been reported in the European country.
A man suspected to be infected with Coronavirus died on Wednesday in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district. Officials said the exact cause of the death of the 76-year-old man is yet to be ascertained as his test report was still awaited. The man had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.
With two more people testing positive for Coronavirus in Mumbai, the total number of cases in the state of Maharashtra has now gone up to 7, health department officials said.
With 63 more deaths being reported on Wednesday, the death toll due to Coronavirus has touched 354 in Iran. The outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran is one of the deadliest outside China, where the disease originated, news agency AFP reported.
The total number of Coronavirus cases has crossed 2,000 in Spain. The death toll has now touched 47, the country’s health ministry said. Madrid is the worst-hit region with half of the confirmed cases and 31 of the deaths.
The coronavirus outbreak will not have much impact on exports of cotton, Cotton Association of India (CAI) said on Friday projecting the overall shipments of the commodity for this season at 42 lakh bales. |READ MORE
Bhupinder Kumar, director of National Health Mission in Jammu & Kashmir has informed that the state government has decided that all public and private educational institutions will suspend their teaching & classwork till March 31. However, board & competitive examinations will take place as per schedule, ANI reported.
Karnataka government has issued temporary regulation ‘Karnataka Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020’ which aims to prevent the spread of the disease. According to the regulation, no person or institution shall use print or electronic media to spread misinformation on COVID-19 without prior permission of the Department of Health & Family Welfare. If a person is found indulging in any such activity, they will be punished, reported ANI.
The novel Coronavirus is affecting unveils and launches of many products so much so that tech-giant Apple is reportedly unlikely to launch its iPhone 9 on March 31 this year. According to a report, Apple has cancelled its product launch planned this month. The iPhone manufacturer was expected to push iPhone SE 2 (also known as iPhone 9) and some other devices like new generation iPad Pro into the markets this month. |READ MORE
UK Health Minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for Coronavirus. Dorries, 62, is the first British MP to be diagnosed with the disease. The UK has reported a total of 382 Coronavirus cases so far. Six people have died in the country. |READ MORE
Indian Open golf tournament postponed due to global novel coronavirus outbreak. Organisers to reschedule the event at “some point” later this year. (PTI)
Junaid Azim Mattu, the Mayor of Srinagar has informed that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has unanimously passed a resolution to restrict public gatherings in Srinagar, and close schools and coaching centres in view of the coronavirus transmission threat. (ANI)
The Government of Karnataka has informed that four COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Karnataka till date. All 4 cases are stable and recovering in isolation facility. Till now, 98,401 passengers have been screened in Karnataka so far, ANI reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has informed that 3 suspected coronavirus cases are under observation in a hospital. Their test results are awaited, ANI reported.
The Ladakh administration has closed all colleges and the university in the union territory from Wednesday until March 31 as a precautionary measure in consideration of the coronavirus outbreak. “In view of the prevailing circumstances and as a precautionary measure for containment of COVID-19, all the colleges and the University of Ladakh shall remain closed till March 31,” Commissioner-Secretary Higher Education, UT Ladakh, Rigzian Sampheal said in an order. |READ MORE
The shutdown of factories in China due to the coronavirus outbreak may affect Indian industries like pharmaceutical, electronics and automobile which import components and raw materials from the neighbouring country, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the outbreak has led to restrictions on movement of people and business activities in many provinces of China, in order to control the spread of the virus. “The closure of factories in China may affect Indian industries, which import components, intermediaries and raw materials from China like the pharmaceutical, electronics and automobile industries,” Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. |READ MORE
A Shivlinga in Varanasi has been accessorised with a protective mask. This comes at a time when everyone is being advised to take precautions against the novel coronavirus, which has spread across the world. According to an ANI report, the priests in the Prahladeshwar Temple have tied a mask around the Shivlinga. They have also put up posters requesting the devotees not to touch the idols. |READ MORE
The Indian Railways has taken several steps to prevent the Corona COVID-19 virus infection from spreading. Recently, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has directed the Railway Board to ensure that adequate prevention measures are implemented across the Indian Railways network. In order to review the preparedness as well as to convey priorities and directions, Vinod Kumar Yadav, the Railway Board Chairman has conducted meetings with all General Managers through Video Conference on 5 March 2020 and 6 March 2020. Here, take a look at some of the major steps taken by Indian Railways towards the prevention of deadly COVID 19 virus. |READ MORE
Although a lot of questions lie unanswered about the risk, treatment and precautions, three months into the coronavirus pandemic, a study in The Lancet has said that the people having diseases like high blood pressure or diabetes or older people are at a higher risk of the fatal impact of coronavirus. The study was carried out on 191 patients from two hospitals in China’s Wuhan and all had been confirmed to be suffering from coronavirus. The patients had either died due to the disease or had been discharged from the hospital. |READ MORE
Using publicly available data on the novel coronavirus, researchers have estimated that the average incubation period — from the point of infection to the onset of symptoms — for the deadly disease caused by the virus is 5.1 days. |READ MORE
On coronavirus, Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian has said that he sees an opportunity in expanding exports. Experts believe that industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, textiles, have a huge opportunity to make their mark amid a slow competition in South Asia. |READ MORE
Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Karnataka, has said that till date 98,401 passengers have been screened in the state. (ANI)
Madrid region reports 31 coronavirus death and 1,024 cases on Wednesday vs 21 death and 782 cases on Tuesday. (Reuters)
States and UTs have been asked to ensure the sanitation of public transport vehicles as a part of coronavirus control and containment measures. They have also been asked to step up hygiene and sanitation at all bus terminals and stops, the Government of India said. (PTI)
Government of India: So far, the government has evacuated 948 passengers from coronavirus-affected countries. Out of these, 900 are Indian citizens and 48 belong to different nationalities including Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, USA, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru. (ANI)
Italy’s PM doesn’t rule out even more restrictive measures on the country to tackle coronavirus. (Reuters)
Coronavirus outbreak in India: With the increasing number of Coronavirus cases in India, Delhi Metro trains and stations are being sanitised and cleaned more frequently. In the wake of this recent outbreak, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has taken some extra measures for sanitising and cleaning the Delhi Metro stations and trains. SEE PICS
Britain’s parliament has no plans to shut over coronavirus, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, after a minister tested positive for the virus and another lawmaker was advised to stay at home as a precaution. (Reuters)
Indian Army: 83 individuals, who arrived from Italy on Air India flight on March 11, have been quarantined at Army facility at Manesar. Out of 83 people, 74 are Indian, six are Italian and rest three are from the United States. (ANI)
83 individuals, who arrived from Italy on Air India flight on March 11, have been quarantined at Army facility at Manesar. Out of 84 people, 74 are Indian, six are Italian and rest three are from the United States: Indian Army (ANI)
Two employees working with IT firms Dell, Mindtree test positive for coronavirus, the company statements have said. Dell employee tested positive for coronavirus had returned from the US including a visit to Texas, while Mindtree employee too had a travel history abroad. (PTI)
Belgium’s health ministry reported on Wednesday the first coronavirus death in the country, Belga news agency said citing a statement. The government statement said the patient was 90 years old. (Reuters)
Only international cruise ships that intimated their call to an Indian port by January 1, 2020, allowed to call on such port, the Union Shipping Ministry has said. (PTI)
International cruise ships and crew with travel history to coronavirus-hit countries will not be allowed to enter Indian ports till March 31, the Union Government said. (PTI)
International cruise ships will be allowed only at ports having thermal screening facilities for passengers and crew, the Government of India has said. (PTI)
India Open badminton to go as per schedule but without fans at the stadium due to coronavirus outbreak. (PTI)