29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India

PMO holds high-level meeting

Passengers of all

international flights coming to India to be screened

Two passengers quarantined at Jammu hospital

CBSE to allow face masks during exams

Politicians cancel Holi celebrations; rallies

DMRC to increase cleaning on premises

HRD ministry direct states to educate kids about COVID-19

WHO asks South-East Asian countries to prepare

Delhi sets up a task force

17 Indians living abroad tested positive

5 Delhi-NCR schools closed

India intends to setup a lab in Iran

373 people under surveillance in Noida

No coronavirus case out of 1,582 under watch in Gujarat

Chemist shops run out of hand sanitizers, face masks

NEW DELHI: The number of positive coronavirus cases in India reached 29 on Wednesday evening as Paytm reported that one of its employee in Gurugram office had tested positive. Thankfully, there have been no deaths so far in the country. Authorities have announced setting up of isolation wards in hospitals and are also tracking people who came in contact with infected patients.Meanwhile, the number of cases across the globe are on the rise, the epicentre of COVID-19 China, has reported receding numbers with 38 new fatalities. The global death count due to COVID-19 is now over 3,000.Here are the top developments:On Wednesday evening one more case of coronavirus was reported taking the total count of confirmed cases to 29. The latest case was confirmed by Paytm in a company statement notifying that one of its employees, who had recently returned from a vacation in Italy, has tested positive for COVID-19. Paytm has advised all its employees in Gurugram office to work from home for the next couple of days and its premises is being sanitised.Earlier in the day, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had confirmed 28 cases. Sixteen Italian national and one Indian driver who were quarantined at an ITBP facility in Delhi, tested positive in addition to seven cases of Delhi-NCR-based residents being detected. In Hyderabad, a techie who had returned from Dubai also tested positive. In the three cases reported from Kerala, patients were discharged after receiving treatment.The Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday held a high-level meeting to review preparedness and response to coronavirus and decided to adopt a pan-government approach in partnership with the states to further enhance the effectiveness of the steps taken to prevent the spread of the virus. Officials across ministries attended the meeting and were tasked with various responsibilities. The health ministry has been asked to do regular briefing while the home ministry will closely collaborate with state governments and district administration to ensure screening protocols are followed.Vardhan also informed that the authorities had been conducting universal screening of flights coming from 12 countries, "but now we will be conducting universal screening of all passengers coming from all international flights. Everybody will be a part of the universal screening," he said. Till March 3, authorities had screened about 5.89 lakh passengers at airports, over 15 thousand at major and minor seaports and over 10 lakh at the borders with Nepal. About 27 thousand were under community surveillance until Tuesday.Two passengers with a travel history to Italy and South Korea have been shifted to the quarantine ward at a government medical college hospital in Jammu. The tests of the two persons have been sent to Delhi and symptomatic passengers have been instructed for home quarantine. As per J&K officials, twenty-one suspected cases have been tested till date and so far no positive case has been reported in the Valley.Students appearing for class 10 and 12 board examination will be allowed to carry masks and hand sanitiser in the exam centre in view of coronavirus scare, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Wednesday.PM Modi and BJP chief JP Nadda have decided not to take part in Holi get-togethers this year following coronavirus outbreak. Sources in the BJP said after the announcement by the top party leaders, no other party leader would likely take part in any Holi get-together. Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah's rally in Hyderabad, which was scheduled to be held on March 15, has been postponed too, to reduce mass physical contact of people.The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will increase the frequency of cleaning on its premises in view of the coronavirus outbreak. DMRC has also issued Do's and Dont's in both English and Hindi regarding the virus and it will display it at some other major stations with informative messages to create awareness amongst its passengers.The HRD Ministry has directed chief secretaries of all states and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to spread awareness among students on basic protective measures against coronavirus. The advisory said, preventive interventions such as frequent hand wash, respiratory etiquettes (using handkerchief over mouth while coughing or sneezing, use of tissue paper or using sleeve of shirt covering upper arm, staying away from school when sick, avoiding public gatherings) would help in preventing or reducing transformation of not only this disease but also a large number of other communicable diseases.With five of the 11 countries in South-East Asia region confirming new cases of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday asked the countries to strengthen preparedness for all possible scenarios and ensure early containment measures. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO South-East Asia Region said that the top priority should be to be ready to roll out speedy response to the first case, first cluster, and first evidences of community transmission. So far, India has reported 28 positive cases, 43 from Thailand, two from Indonesia while one each in Sri Lanka and Nepal.Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal says efforts are on to check and screen 88 people who came in contact with the Delhi man who tested positive for coronavirus. Kejriwal also announced setting up of a task force, which will be headed by him, to tackle the situation emerging from the coronavirus infection. He said there is no need to panic.Seventeen Indians living abroad have tested positive for novel coronavirus, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. 16 cases were reported from onboard cruise ship Diamond Princess -- and are now being treated at a medical facility in Japan, while one Indian national tested positive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Indian government has so far evacuated a total of 766 people -- including 723 Indian nationals and 43 foreigners from China.Five schools in the Delhi and adjoining areas have announced holiday for students and staff as a precautionary measure. Two schools advanced their spring break while others have sent out advisories to parents. One of the two schools, where the infected Delhi man's son is a student in a primary class, said it will remain shut from March 4 to March 6. A health department team fumigated and sanitised the school campus on Tuesday.Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said India intends to set up a laboratory in Iran so that Indians there can be tested for a possible exposure to novel coronavirus before being brought back. The Iranian government has not yet given permission for it. An estimated 1,200 Indians, mostly students and pilgrims, are in Iran currently.As many as 373 people who have travelled abroad since January 15 have been kept under surveillance so far as possible carriers of coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Noida. Among these 55 people have been tested for the virus out of which 49 tested negative and results of the rest six are awaited. The Noida administration on Tuesday launched two helplines -- 8076623612 and 6396776904 -- for people with any queries on coronavirus.Gujarat Health Department said that none of the 1,582 people kept under house observation after returning from coronavirus-hit countries has so far been found to be infected by the potentially deadly virus. Of these people, 964came here from China, 147 from Thailand, 131 from Australia, while the remaining came from various other countries, he said.Many chemist shops in several Delhi-NCR localities have run out of hand sanitizers and face masks as the demand took a sudden hike with manufacturers not being able to replenish the stock in the last couple of days. Some chemist shops who have stocks available for masks have also jacked up prices, selling items that were available earlier for Rs 150 at Rs 300.