india

Updated: Mar 17, 2020 06:15 IST

Delhi intensified efforts to halt the spread of the new coronavirus disease by banning gatherings of more than 50 people and shutting down gyms, nightclubs and weekly markets, even as the highly contagious infection stalking the globe extended its imprint to 114 cases in India on Monday, prompting the Centre to widen critical restrictions by banning travel from the European Union, UK and Turkey.

These sweeping curbs, many of which experts believe came too late despite growing alarm over the contagion, were announced a day after the government collected 1,100 samples to test at random. Worries have deepened over the absence of aggressive random testing and creaky state health care infrastructure, with experts warning that the number of cases in the country could balloon if pre-emptive steps are not enforced on a war footing.

Four fresh Covid-19 cases – one each from Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Kerala – were confirmed on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 114. These include 13 people who have recovered and two who lost their lives. About a dozen others showed signs of the disease in initial tests conducted by state authorities, potentially taking the tally up to at least 126. A 26-year-old from Gurugram and seven people in Maharashtra were confirmed positive in initial tests.

The Union health ministry recommended that malls remain closed till the end of the month and people maintain one-metre distance between themselves to guard against Covid-19, which has killed at least 6,500 people worldwide.

The spread of Covid-19 in India has not been rapid so far, but data shows that many European countries showed a sharp spike in cases once random community testing was scaled up. With the first increase in India reported in early March, the country is in its most vulnerable phase, with experts urging the government to not wait for a worsening of the situation before ordering a lockdown.

On Monday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that any gathering – religious, family, social, political or cultural – of more than 50 people will not be allowed in the national capital till March 31 to fight against the infection. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government also directed the closure of all gyms, nightclubs, theatres, weekly markets and spas.

“We request people concerned to postpone marriages, if possible,” Kejriwal said at a news briefing after meeting a crack team set up to deal with the public health crisis. He also said that all shopping malls should be disinfected daily and sanitisers should be provided on their premises. The special task force headed by Kejriwal also ordered officials to install hand-wash dispensers across Delhi.

The chief minister said the order would extend to the protests in the city, including the Shaheen Bagh stir. “We are following all the guidelines being issued by the Centre,” he added.

“We have arranged sufficient beds if cases increase and hospitalisation is needed. Quarantine facilities have been set up at three hotels - Lemon Tree, Red Fox, IBIS,” the CM said.

The coronavirus infection, which is believed to have originated at a seafood market in China’s Wuhan in December last year, has so far spread to about 150 countries, and infected about 175,000 people. While Wuhan took the biggest hit from the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that Europe has become the new epicentre of the public health crisis.

Shortly after Delhi’s announcement, the Union government prohibited the entry of passengers from EU countries, Turkey and the UK from March 18 till March 31.

“No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on March 18. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure,” the government said, adding that the instructions will be in force till March 31 and will be reviewed subsequently.

“Expanding compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from/transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait,” it added.

After a meeting of the group of ministers (GoM) on the coronavirus infections, the government said contact tracing of the all cases led to the identification of more than 5,200 people, who were being closely monitored.

The GoM held its seventh meeting on Monday and after deliberations, social distancing measures as a preventive strategy were proposed for implementation, said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry.

He added that the key measures proposed included closure of all educational institutions – schools, colleges and universities – shopping malls, gyms, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres.

Private sector organisations and employers are being encouraged to allow employees to work from home wherever feasible, Aggarwal said.

“Non-essential travel should be avoided. Buses, trains and aeroplanes should maximise social distancing in public transport, besides ensuring proper disinfection of services,” he said.

Restaurants should ensure hand-washing protocol and proper cleanliness of frequently touched surfaces, the official said. The restaurants should also ensure physical distancing of minimum one metre between tables and encourage open-air seating where practical with adequate distancing, he added.

Outside India, bars, restaurants, cinemas and schools were shutting down from New York and Los Angeles to Paris and Dubai in a worldwide effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, as financial markets tumbled despite emergency action by global central banks.

The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the second time in less than two weeks, but Wall Street opened with a dizzying plunge that set off circuit breakers.

In Italy, hardest-hit country in Europe, there were 368 new deaths from the Covid-19 outbreak on Sunday, a daily toll more dire than even China was recording at the peak of the outbreak that first hit its central city Wuhan.

Spain and France, where cases and fatalities have begun surging at a pace just days behind that of Italy, imposed severe lockdowns over the weekend.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday he was ordering restaurants, bars and cafes to sell food only on a takeout or delivery basis. He also said he would order nightclubs, movie theatres, small theatre houses and concert venues to close.