Thirteen patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals

Security staff uses a thermal screening device on visitors at the entry gate, at the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi on Monday. Image Credit: ANI

New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Monday said a total of 114 people in India have so far tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

A state-wise data, compiled at 4pm on Monday on the ministry’s website showed that Maharashtra continues to top the chart with the most number of cases - 38, as per health officials in the western state, followed by Kerala.

Kerala showed an additional patient and reported a total of 23 positive cases. Three people who had earlier tested positive have recovered.

Besides, Uttarakhand and Odisha reported their first case in the data.

There were at least 13 positive cases of the novel coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh of which 12 are Indians and one is a foreign national. The Health Ministry said four patients in Uttar Pradesh were cured and discharged from the hospital.

In Rajasthan, four people - two Indians and two foreigners - continue to suffer from the Covid-19 infection while three people have been discharged from the hospital after they recovered.

There is at least one confirmed case each of the disease in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Haryana reported no new case except the previous 14 foreign nationals currently having the infection.

In the national capital, there are seven cases of which two have recovered and one, a woman, has died.

The Union Territory of Ladakh has reported one more case, taking the total number of infected cases to four.

Jammu and Kashmir has reported one case, with no recovery in both the UTs. All the patients are Indian nationals.

Karnataka has confirmed six cases so far of which one individual has died.

There are a total of 97 Indians and 17 foreign nationals who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

A total of 13 patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals, while two people have died.

Besides, the ministry said that at least 1,276,046 passengers were screened at various airports across the country.

Complaint filed against Chinese President in India court

A complaint was filed in a Muzaffarpur court against Chinese President Xi Jinping and China’s ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, on Monday for allegedly “hatching a conspiracy to spread coronavirus”.

The matter is slated for hearing before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on April 11. The complaint, filed by advocate Sudheer Kumar Ojha, alleged that the duo hatched a conspiracy to spread coronavirus.

This comes after at least 110 cases of coronavirus, including 17 foreign nationals, have been confirmed across India, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A worker disinfects the interiors of a passenger train parked at a railway station as a preventive measure against coronavirus, in New Delhi on March 16, 2020. Image Credit: REUTERS

Thermal screening begins in parliament

Screening measures have been introduced at Parliament House from Monday.

Visitors lined up at the entry gates on the outer periphery of Parliament House that provide entry. Inside, small containers of hand sanitiser were also placed by the side of the security personnel, near the 12 entry gates.

The second leg of the current budget session, which is also the third session of the 17th Lok Sabha began on March 2 and ends on April 3.

Andaman Islands suspends tourism activities for 10 days

Authorities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have suspended all tourism activities in the Union Territory till March 26.

In an advisory issued by the Andaman and Nicobar administration, tourists have been advised to refrain from travelling to the islands from March 16 midnight.

The advisory said that “all tourism facilities on the islands such as jetties, beaches, eco-tourism sites and water sports activities shall remain suspended from March 16 to March 26. All tour operators may appropriately advise their clients so that tourists intending to travel to Andaman and Nicobar Islands are forewarned and advised to refrain from travelling.”

Bengaluru restricts wedding guests to 100

The Bengaluru civic body will allow all weddings, for which bookings had already been made, to be organised on scheduled dates, albeit with only 100 attendees.

“All marriage functions pre-booked in marriage halls, hotels, and party palaces prior to the issuance of a March 13 circular shall be allowed to be conducted, subject to the condition that the gatherings will not exceed 100 persons,” said Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Special Commissioner (projects and health) Ravi Kumar Surpur.

On Friday, the state government had decided to bar holding of marriages for a week.

The civic body said that the relaxation is an exception, considering the difficulties involved in rescheduling or cancelling marriage events immediately.

However, it called on managements of such wedding venues to maintain high standards of sanitation and hygiene through periodic cleaning of public areas with 10 per cent Sodium Hypochlorite solution or any other effective disinfectant.

“Any person attending these function who show symptoms like cough, cold and fever shall be requested to immediately leave the programme,” said the statement.

Uttar Pradesh trains 4,000 doctors

More than 100,000 Anganwadi and Asha workers and 4,000 doctors have been trained to handle the Covid-19 outbreak, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.

Unicef and WHO are also helping in the training, he added.

“We have 1,268-bed isolations wards, which can be expanded if the need arises. We have also assured the availability of masks, gloves, and gowns in each district,” Adityanath said.

“We have closed all schools till March 22 in which exams are not going being held and have ordered the closure of malls, multiplexes in GautamBuddha Nagar, Agra, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, other districts along the Nepal border. Mass gatherings should also be avoided in these areas,” he added.

Taj Mahal to visitors

India will close the iconic Taj Mahal to visitors from Tuesday as part of measures to try and combat the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism ministry said on Monday.

"All ticketed monuments and all other museums have been directed to be closed until March 31," Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel tweeted late Monday.