The Central government on Monday announced that two positive cases of novel coronavirus had been detected in India: one in Delhi and one in Telangana. This will take the total number of coronavirus cases reported in India to five, with the first three patients being cured.
In a press statement, the government said the coronavirus patient in Delhi had a travel history from Italy, while the patient in Telangana had travelled to Dubai.
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The condition of both patients was reported to be stable and both were being monitored.
Union Health Dr Harsh Vardhan said that thousands of people are being tested for the virus based on self-declaration and their health history. These also include contacts of the two individuals who were recently tested positive for the virus, like family members and colleagues at their workplaces. The health minister said that 15 laboratories have been made operational to screen people for the virus and that the government may extend travel restrictions to 12 countries.
Dr Harsh Vardhan added that the government did want to send out literature regarding the virus, that contained preventative measures, but, did not want to do it on a large scale as to avoid panic. He added that the government has set-up a helpline and an email id for coronavirus, which is 011-23978046 and the email is ncov2019@gmail.com.
"People should maintain hygiene, wash hands properly and avoid going to crowded places," the Health Minister said.
In January-February, three cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Kerala: All three were students who had returned from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. All three cases in Kerala were cured and subsequently discharged from the hospital.
