Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) confirmed that number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India has reached 43, out of which 40 are active cases.

Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported since Sunday – one from Ernakulum, Kerala, one from Delhi, one from Uttar Pradesh and one from Jammu.

“Five cases from Kerala reported on Sunday are three family members with travel history to Italy and two of their relatives who came in contact with them. The family is reported to have visited relatives and attended few functions and their contacts are being traced as we speak,” stated a press release by MoHFW.

Of the 3,003 samples tested for COVID-19 with 2,694 samples have returned with negative results.

“A total of 8,74,708 international passengers from 8,255 flights have been screened at airports till now with 1,921 passengers identified as symptomatic. 177 of them have been hospitalized. 33,599 passengers are under observation. 21,867 passengers have completed their observation period,” the press release further stated.

The people are further appealed that they should reveal clearly about their travel history and fill the details in self-declaration forms properly, stated MoHFW.

MoHFW has also clarified that the patient from Murshidabad, West Bengal was tested negative for COVID-19 and hence, so far no death has been reported due to COVID-19 in the country.

MoHFW appeals to the people to kindly observe the do’s and don’ts, coughing etiquettes, hand-washing and avoid large gatherings.

PTI adds

Up north, in Jammu, a 63-year-old woman who declared positive was among the two patients declared “high viral load cases” by the administration on the weekend.

They are undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital and are in a stable condition, officials in Jammu said.

“The test report of the woman patient is positive, while the report of the other patient is still awaited,” a Health Department official said.

The two with a travel history to Italy, South Korea and Iran had fled the hospital’s isolation ward on Wednesday shortly after being admitted there but were brought back within hours of the incident, the official said.

Jammu and Kashmir administration spokesperson Rohit Kansal said they are watching the situation and have put 400 people under surveillance in Satawari and Sarwal areas of Jammu.

The number of COVID-19 cases in India, which was just six till last Tuesday, includes 16 Italians as well as three Kerala patients who were discharged last month following their recovery.

The coronavirus scare cast a shadow over Holi on Tuesday in large parts of north India with many people cancelling their celebrations.

In Kerala, notwithstanding the scare and strict government guidelines, lakhs of women took part in the famous “Attukal Pongala” festival.

Preparing ‘pongala’ (sweet offering) is part of the all-women ritual of the annual festival of the Attukal Bhahavathy Temple here, popularly known as the “Women’s Sabarimala.”

Unlike previous years, women devotees, including children and elders, could be seen wearing face masks while preparing the offering, as a precautionary measure in the wake of the virus outbreak.