The number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 74, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. (File photo) The number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 74, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. (File photo)

Coronavirus outbreak: A 76-year-old man from Kalburgi is India’s first casualty due to coronavirus, announced Karnataka state government Thursday. This is reportedly India’s first fatality due to COVID-19. The number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 74, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. The total number of 74 confirmed cases includes 17 foreigners — 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian.

The Delhi government on Thursday declared coronavirus an epidemic and announced that all cinema halls, schools and colleges (where exams not being held) will remain shut in the national capital till March 31.



With the number of novel coronavirus cases increasing in India and globally, PM Narendra Modi Thursday assured that his government is “fully vigilant” about the prevailing situation and that multiple steps have been taken to ensure the safety of the citizens. In a tweet, the Prime Minister stated that none of his ministers will travel abroad in the upcoming days and urged people to avoid non-essential travel.

Here is the breakdown of the cases across the country:

# In Delhi, six Indians have tested positive for COVID-19, while in Haryana, 14 foreign nationals have tested positive.

# In the southern states, 17 Indians have tested positive in Kerala, while Tamil Nadu reported one confirmed case. Telangana reported one confirmed case of an Indian national, while in Karnataka, five Indians have tested positive. Andhra Pradesh also confirmed its first case Thursday. The fifth case in Karnataka is yet to be confirmed by the Health Ministry.

# In Rajasthan, one Indian and two foreigners have been tested positive, while in Uttar Pradesh, 10 Indians and one foreigner have been tested positive.

# Maharashtra reported 14 confirmed cases of coronavirus — 9 cases in Pune, 3 in Mumbai, 1 in Thane and 1 in Nagpur. One case in Pune, Thane and Mumbai each is yet to be confirmed by the Health Ministry. Punjab also confirmed one case.

# In Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, one and three Indians have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, respectively.