Chandigarh: Two Indians who returned this week from coronavirus-hit Italy were preliminary diagnosed positive for the disease and they have been hospitalised in Amritsar city since their arrival, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said here on Saturday.

They have been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar.

"The preliminary test from the samples sent to (AIIMS) Delhi tested positive for the disease. Their samples have also been sent for the second confirmation to the Pune lab and the results of which will be out by Saturday evening or Sunday morning, the minister told the media here.

He said since a large number of people of Punjab are settled in Italy, the state government is extra cautious about their arrival to the state.

He said both were admitted to the isolation ward of the hospital after they showed symptoms of the disease on their arrival on March 3 at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar.

A total of 5,814 people with travel history of affected countries were properly screened by the Health Department. Nine persons are symptomatic as on Friday and their samples had been sent to the AIIMS in New Delhi.

The Cabinet minister said the situation is being closely watched and being monitored by state and district teams to avoid any outbreak.