Coronavirus cases jump to 28, health minister says ‘screen passengers from all nations’

india

Updated: Mar 04, 2020 15:23 IST

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that India will now be screening passengers from all countries as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus outbreak. He said that the new cases of coronavirus infection take the total number of incidents in the country to 28.

“From now on, all flights and passengers will be part of universal screening, not just the 12 countries which we had listed earlier,” the minister said.

Vardhan’s comments came during his press address on coronavirus in the national capital today. New Delhi had earlier put passengers from 12 countries under the scanner.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan: 14 out of 21 Italian nationals have found positive for coronavirus. They have been sent to at Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) quarantine facility in Chhawla. pic.twitter.com/IJqP1e13tT — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020

The minister also informed that the Delhi resident who tested positive for the virus has infected six members of his family who are in Agra. All 6 members tested positive for coronavirus.

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Meanwhile, as many as 21 Italian nationals and three Indians were under ITBP’s quarantine facility at Chhawla near Delhi of which 14 tested positive today. An Indian is also among those who have tested positive, the officials said. Two Italian tourists in Jaipur have also been confirmed positive for coronavirus.

The government had confirmed three fresh cases of coronavirus earlier this week.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan: Till now, there have been 28 positive cases of Coronavirus in India https://t.co/kyxBangCQX — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020

Suspecting the emergence of cluster cases of the virus, India has stepped up the level of preparedness against coronavirus.

The health minister said that all hospitals in the national capital have been directed to develop good quality isolation wards to stay prepared.

The 12 countries that were earlier under the scanner for possible spread of the infection included China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Italy, Nepal and Iran.

While over 10 major and more than 50 minor seaports across the country are being screened, as many as 21 major airports are also conducting screenings.

More than 5 lakh people have been screened at the airports so far.