india

Updated: Mar 17, 2020 07:20 IST

Haryana’s first positive case of coronavirus disease (covid-19) was reported from Gurugram on Monday.

The official bulletin released by the state health department said the sample report of one suspect had been found to be positive by the national institute of virology, Pune.

Senior doctors of the department said that the patient is a 26-year-old female and a resident of Gurugram. She had returned from Malaysia and Indonesia a few days ago and had some symptoms of coughing and sneezing. She had informed the department and quarantined herself at her home.

The health teams swung into action on Monday after the confirmation of the virus and shifted her to an isolation ward besides quarantining all her family member and other people who had been around her. “Samples of all these people have also been sent to the Pune lab’’, a top doctor said.

DIRE NEED OF AWARENESS

Meanwhile, people in general and all the employees – from top to bottom – would see an intensive awareness drives to check the spread of coronavirus disease (covid-19) in their very respective offices across the state from Tuesday.

The chief secretary Keshni Anand Arora held video conferencing with the top officials of state, division and district levels and senior doctors of health department during the day and stressed the urgency to focus on the prevention of the said virus though awareness in the context.

She sought imparting of awareness and training about hygiene-centric etiquettes of coughing, sneezing, distancing and washing of hands among all the employees.

The state government which has already ordered the closure of all the government, private universities, colleges, ITIs, schools, cinemas, gyms, swimming polls, theaters, clubs and night clubs till March 31, 2020, has also prohibited all political, religious, sports, cultural gatherings (of more than 200 people). The government has also begun sanitising buses and other public transport systems across the state.

12 SAMPLE RESULTS AWAITED

According to official records, till Sunday evening, there are 2,992 persons under observation of whom 2,957 have travel history from affected countries. As many as 35 persons with travel history from affected countries were admitted in hospitals of whom 29 have already been discharged.

The stage nodal officer, IDSP, Dr Krishan also informed HT that till Monday evening 66 samples had been sent of whom 54 have been found to be negative while results of 11 were awaited.

ENSURE MASKS, SANITIZERS’AVAILABILITY

Arora also directed the district authorities to ensure the availability of medicines, masks, and sanitizers to the public at reasonable prices in view of the Corona Virus.

She said that officers and employees in the offices should also, be informed about the corona virus and make sanitizers available in offices of all departments, mini-secretariats and other populated places so that the possibility of spreading the disease is prevented.

HELPLINES SET UP

The government has set-up two helpline numbers 8558893911 and 108 where information regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) suspects in the state can be given.