NEW DELHI: As the official number of Covid-19 cases in the country rose to 82, the Centre on Friday decided to restrict international traffic only through 19 of 37 border check posts and suspended passenger bus and rail services to Bangladesh for a month starting from March 15.

Only four India-Nepal border check posts will be operational during this period. Though the Kartarpur corridor is currently open, the government will take a decision on it by Saturday, officials said.

"India-Bangladesh passenger buses and trains will remain suspended till April 15. Along the India-Nepal border, four check posts will remain operational. For citizens of Bhutan and Nepal, visa-free entry to the country will continue," Anil Malik, additional secretary in the home ministry, said.

"There will be intensified health inspections at all these entry points and any traveller, whether Indian or Nepalese or Bhutanese or from any other country showing Covid-19 symptoms or with a recent travel history to one of seven Covid-19 outbreak countries - Italy, Iran, China, Spain, France, Germany and Republic of Korea - shall be subjected to quarantine at a facility of state or central government," a office memorandum said.

So far, 10 of 82 cases reported have been declared cured, while two have died, one in Karnataka on Thursday and another in Delhi on Friday.

72 out of 82 infected clinically stable: Health ministry official

Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry said, “All other cases are clinically stable as of now.” Around 4,000 people who came in contact with the 81 positive cases are under vigorous observation across the country, whereas 42,000 people are under community surveillance, Agarwal said.

The government maintained there was “no health emergency or epidemic” in India, while urging people to be aware and take precautions to protect themselves and others from the infection. Agarwal clarified that the 76-year-old patient who died in Karnataka had “comorbid” conditions of asthma and hypertension. Moreover, he was admitted to a private hospital and refused an advice from the government to move to a public facility.

The health ministry also said the death of a 68-year-old woman from west Delhi (mother of a confirmed case of Covid-19) was caused due to co-morbidity (diabetes and hypertension). She has also tested positive. She had contact with a positive case (her son who had travelled to Switzerland and Italy between February 5 and 22).

The government is working to evacuate all Indians stranded in Iran and Italy. “An exercise will be undertaken on Saturday to bring back Indian passengers stranded in Iran. Air India will also send a flight to Milan on Saturday to bring Indians. It will land on Sunday morning at Delhi airport,” said Rubina Ali, joint secretary in the civil aviation ministry. So far, India has evacuated 1,031 people, including from Maldives, US, Madagascar and China.

Meanwhile, 124 evacuees from Japan and 112 from China were being discharged from Friday onwards after testing negative for Covid-19, Agarwal said. On Wednesday, the government suspended all visas, except a few categories like diplomatic, UN organisations and employment visas, to protect further import of infected cases from abroad.



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