Coronavirus outbreak updates: In its daily press briefing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed concern over the rapid depletion of protective gear needed to fight the coronavirus arising due to 'rising demand, hoarding and misuse'.

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World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said almost eight times as many cases had been reported outside China as inside in the previous 24 hours, adding that the risk of coronavirus spreading was now very high at a global level.

The new coronavirus appears to now be spreading much more rapidly outside China than within, and airports in hard-hit countries were ramping up screening of travellers.

Earlier, on 29 February, two more positive cases were reported in Pakistan. The woman, who returned from Iran some days ago, is a resident of Gilgit city in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region in the north.

A 45-year-old woman, who returned from Iran, tested positive for the deadly coronavirus in Pakistan, taking the total number of the COVID-19 infections in the country to five, officials said on Tuesday.

Other 25 people from Noida had also attended the party. Meanwhile, the medical authorities of Uttar Pradesh are on their way to the school for further inspection.

An English medium school in Noida was shut on Tuesday following coronavirus fears. It is learnt that the coronavirus infected patient from Delhi had organised a birthday party in the area last week, where his children, along with other schoolmates were also present, reports CNN-New18.

The state government has also decided to intensify its campaign to create awareness among people on the virus and the precautions to be taken to avoid contracting it. On Monday, a 24-year-old software engineer from the city, who works in Bengaluru, was found to be the first confirmed case of nCov from Telangana.

A decision was taken to set up a 24-hour call centre, besides strengthening the existing one, they said. Asserting that the government was fully prepared to deal with the situation, the officials advised the public not to panic.

Ministers of Health, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj, along with senior officials, held a meeting here to discuss measures to be taken following the detection of the positive case in the city, official sources said.

The Telangana government on Tuesday reviewed preparedness and measures to check the spread of novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) in the wake of a man from the state testing positive for the virus.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the duo discussed issues arising from the coronavirus outbreak. After the meeting, Kejriwal said that he discussed with Modi that Delhi government and Centre have to work together to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country.

Noida District Magistrate BN Singh confirmed to News18 on Tuesday that the Delhi resident, who contracted coronavirus in Italy, attended a birthday party last week in which his child and his schoolmates were present. “The Indian who came back to Noida after contracting coronavirus in Italy has been identified. One of his children, studies in a Noida school. He had met some children at a birthday party. Our team is looking into this and quarantines are being done in Delhi. We have arranged 10 beds. There is no need to worry,” Singh said told the news channel.

The 69-year-old man has been placed under isolation at the government-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. The man is part of the group of 20 tourists, who are now in Agra.

An Italian tourist tested positive for the coronavirus in Jaipur on Monday and his blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for further confirmation, the state government said.

The country’s death toll rose to 28 and President Moon Jae-in, calling the outbreak “a grave situation,” said his government would push to inject more than 30 trillion won ($25 billion) to fund clinics, aid for small businesses and other measures related to the virus. It requires parliamentary approval.

In South Korea, coronavirus cases rose further Tuesday, with 477 new infections reported, largely in and around the southeastern city of Daegu, where many cases were clustered around a local church. In all, 4,812 in South Korea have tested positive for the virus, reports The Associated Press.

According to Press Information Bureau , cases with high viral load have been detected during sample testing in Agra. These cases are the ones who had come in contact with the COVID-19 patient from New Delhi, reported yesterday.They have been kept in isolation while their samples have been sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for confirmation.

She also shared names and passport details of the stranded persons on Twitter. "Amidst the Corona Virus Crisis 34 Individuals from Kolhapur and surrounding regions are stuck in Iran their names and passport details are attached," the Lok Sabha member from​ Baramati tweeted on Monday.

NCP leader Supriya Sule has said 34 people from Maharashtra's Kolhapur are stranded in Iran amid the coronavirus scare, and demanded that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ensure their safe return.

At least four of the six people who died were either elderly or had underlying health conditions or both, reports Reuters. Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a White House briefing, said the risk to Americans from coronavirus remained low.

Six people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, as authorities across the United States scrambled to prepare for more infections with an emphasis on increasing testing capacity.

The directive came during a review meeting of the Health Department chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"We have issued instructions to all hotels in the city that if any person is coming from Italy, Iran or China, they should inform us. As soon as the hotel informs us, a team of doctors goes to the hotel, and examines them for symptoms of coronavirus. All the tourists sites have been told to inform the 24-hour control about visitors from countries where coronavirus outbreak has been reported," Vats said.

As soon as any information is received, a team of doctors will be dispatched to examine the visitors for symptoms of COVID-19, Chief Medical Officer of Agra Dr Mukesh Vats told PTI.

Hotels and tourists sites in Agra have been instructed to inform the office of the Chief Medical Officer as soon as visitors from Italy, Iran or China arrive, so that they can be screened for coronavirus infection, an official said on Tuesday.

Some other relatives were asked to stay quarantined at their houses only, the sources added. One of the accountants working for the man, who lives in Mayur Vihar, and some of his relatives have also been shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for tests, they said.

Some family members of the Delhi-based man, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, have been shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for tests after they showed symptoms of the virus, Health Ministry sources told PTI.

UP government issues helpline number at the state headquarters for queries and help on COVID-19 after six cases with 'high viral load' have been detected during sample testing in Agra.

Employees working in South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan offices of Twitter have been asked to take up work from home. Earlier on Saturday, the company announced that it is suspending all the non-critical business events

Christie further said that offices of the company will remain open and the guidance is not mandatory but the option of work-from-home is open to employees. Twitter also said that they will be conducting a deep-cleaning drive for better protection of its employees.

In the wake of the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, micro-blogging site Twitter has issued a notice asking its employees across the globe to work from home until any further notice. According to CNN, the company said the same in a message shared in an official blog.

A Health Department team led by Chief Medical Officer, Noida, reached the school around 11.45 am to inspect the situation, District Magistrate BN Singh told PTI.

A private school in Noida postponed examinations on Tuesday after the father of a student tested positive for coronavirus, officials said. In a communication to the parents sent early Tuesday morning, the school said it was postponing the examinations due to "unavoidable circumstances" but the board examination would continue.

He also tagged his 12 February tweet in which he had said that the coronavirus is an extremely serious threat to "our people and our economy". "My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously. Timely action is critical," he had said.

Gandhi's remarks came after India on Monday reported two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including one from the National Capital. "There are moments in the life of every nation when its leaders are tested. A true leader would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on India and its economy," Gandhi tweeted.

Raising concerns over the detection of fresh coronavirus case in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said a "true leader" would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on the country and its economy.

Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev and top officials of the Health Department will be present at the meeting and will brief the chief minister about the Delhi government's preparations, the official said.

The move comes a day after a case of the novel coronavirus was reported in the National Capital.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called an urgent meeting with Health Minister Satyendar Jain and other top officials at 3 pm on the government's preparations to deal with coronavirus, an official said.

"Different ministries and states are working together, from screening people arriving in India to providing prompt medical attention. There is no need to panic." the prime minister tweeted.

Narendra Modi took to Twitter to discuss the preventive measures taken by the government to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus. He said that he had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19.

A Health Department team led by Noida's chief medical officer had visited one of the schools in the morning, an official said.

The second school said it is suspending classes immediately till 9 March and sanitising its campus. Fumigation was underway at both schools.

Earlier in the day, the school said it was postponing internal examinations scheduled for Tuesday due to some "unavoidable circumstances". The board exams are not affected, the messages sent to the parents made clear.

The two schools announced their closure in messages sent to the parents. One of the schools, where a student's father tested positive, said it will remain shut from 4 to 6 March.

Two private schools in Noida cancelled classes on Tuesday for the next few days as a precautionary measure over the father of a student testing positive for coronavirus, officials said.

In a tweet on Monday, US Vice President Mike Pence announced the appointment of Seema Verma, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Robert Wilkie, Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, to the task force.

The task force is led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, and is coordinated through the National Security Council.

Trump on 30 January created the coronavirus task force to lead his administration's response to the deadly virus that emerged in China and has wrecked havoc across the globe.

Leading Indian-American health policy consultant Seema Verma has been appointed as one of the key members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force constituted by US President Donald Trump to combat the deadly disease that has claimed six lives in the country and infected over 90 others.

"The detentions are available just like they are in other health circumstances, it's not inconceivable that those might be activated," Porter told the media.

Amid fears of outbreak, Attorney General Chritian Porter on Tuesday said that ''The biosecurity laws allow the government to do a range of things based on the best medical advice from the chief medical officer and others requires....In certain circumstances potentially if people were declining to abide by the conditions of the control order some forms of detention are available."

On Monday, the first two cases of the community transmission of the coronavirus were confirmed in Australia. Both the cases of transmission occurred in New South Wales (NSW).

After the first transmission of the deadly coronavirus in Australia, the federal government on Tuesday said it could activate the rarely used biosecurity laws that will give power to the authorities to detain people having the virus and prevent its spread.

Spillovers to financial markets in India have largely been contained. Growing hopes of coordinated policy action to mitigate a broader fallout to economic activity has boosted market sentiment today.

Globally, financial markets have been experiencing considerable volatility, with the spread of coronavirus, triggering risk-off sentiments and flights to safe haven, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement.

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday said it is closely monitoring global as well as domestic situation regarding the impact of deadly coronavirus and ready to take necessary action to ensure the orderly functioning of financial markets.

Already, the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted businesses dependent on Chinese supplies and industry professionals say Indian generic drugmakers are likely to face supply shortages from China if the epidemic drags on.

Indian pharma companies get almost 70 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for their medicines from China.

India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs, on Tuesday restricted the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs made from them, including paracetamol, as concern mounted the coronavirus outbreak could turn into a pandemic.

Germany has not reported a fatal case of the virus, which emerged in the Chinese metropolis Wuhan late last year and is quickly spreading around the world

Thirteen of Germany’s 16 federal states have now reported cases of the novel coronavirus, with the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia being most affected, according to the RKI.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose to 188 on Tuesday, up from 157 on Monday afternoon, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said.

Chief Operating Officer Adel Al-Redha said Emirates has adjusted its schedules and capacity to meet the change in passenger demand. The airline has canceled flights to all cities in China except Beijing.

West Asia’s largest airline, Emirates, on Tuesday, has said it has reduced or grounded flights due to the new virus and as a result has asked employees to take paid and even unpaid leave for up to a month at a time. Emirates operates out of Dubai, the world’s busiest airport for international transit.

Central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, who appeared for the ministries, accepted the notice and said a status report would be filed on the steps being taken. The court, thereafter, listed the matter for further hearing on 11 March.

Justice IS Mehta issued notice to ministries of home, external affairs, health and aviation and asked them to file a status report on the steps being taken by them to evacuate the students.

The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought the Centre's response on a plea by parents of Indian students stranded in Iran due to coronavirus outbreak for evacuating them.

The Italian tourist placed in an isolation ward at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed cases in India to 6, PTI quoted health ministry sources as saying.

Addressing a press briefing along with health minister Satyender Jain, Delhi deputy chief minister said that apart from the case reported yesterday, no new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the National Capital. He also outlined the measures taken by the state government. "In 25 hospitals (19 government and 6 private), the process of setting up of isolation wards is underway. 3.5 lakh masks, 8000 separation kits are being made available," he said, adding that twelve testing facilities were operational in the National Capital.

Pope Francis, who canceled a Lent retreat for the first time in his papacy because he is suffering from a cold, has tested negative for coronavirus, an Italian newspaper reported.The 83-year-old Roman Catholic leader, who had part of one lung removed because of an illness decades ago, also canceled most audiences last week.

"We won't be holding any launch events on-ground through March. While we have been planning for this launch for months, we believe this is an unprecedented yet extremely important step," Xiaomi vice president and India managing director Manu Jain said in a statement. The company has taken this decision with "the objective of reducing exposure risk to COVID-19 for our Mi fans, media friends, partners and Xiaomi employees", the statement said.

Chinese smartphone companies Xiaomi and realme have canceled their launch events scheduled for the next two weeks in the wake of coronavirus fears in the country, reported PTI. While realme was scheduled to unveil its realme 6 series on 5 March, Xiaomi was slated to launch Redmi Note series on 12 March.

He also announced that the government was planning to set up a special hospital for Coronavirus treatment.

Telangana health minister Eatela Rajendra on Tuesday said a budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated to fight the virus in the state and urged the people to not panic. "Rs 100 crore has been allocated for combating coronavirus. The man who had come from Dubai and tested positive for COVID-19 is recovering. This virus is not deadlier than swine flu. The death toll is not more than 2-3 percent. Few basic measures can prevent this virus from taking effect," ANI quoted him as saying.

The couple has been kept in isolation at the Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Hospital

The wife of the Italian tourist found to have been infected with coronavirus also tested positive for the virus, PTI quoted an official of the Rajasthan Health Department as saying. He added that her samples are being sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for another test. "The wife of the Italian tourist also developed symptoms and samples were collected. The report indicates positive signs of the virus in her. For further confirmation, we are sending her sample to the NIV, Pune," the official said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday directed airlines to provide ground staff who are entering aircraft that are flying internationally, with disposable protective gear like surgical masks and gloves, News18 reported.

The DGCA, issuing instructions to airlines regarding precautions against coronavirus on Tuesday, also said that hand sanitising facilities should be available in multiple locations on airports for staff and passengers, News18 reported. The report further quoted DGCA as asking airlines to ensure that protective gear is provided for passengers in flights.

The DGCA has instructed all airlines to ensure that aircraft arriving in India from South Korea, Japan, and Italy go through the disinfection process as the government made efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus after at least six fresh cases were reported in India since Monday.

An overwhelmed Liyou said he had prayed that the disease be defeated soon. The prayer meet was organised by the Rakshak​ Foundation.

A prayer meet was held in Kolkata on Tuesday for the people of China where the toll in the deadly coronavirus disease has reached 2,943, PTI reported. Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata Zha Liyou joined the prayer meet as did the spiritual leaders from all religions.

"The Assam government is undertaking all necessary precautions to prevent outbreak of Coronavirus in the state We are prepared to restrict the epidemic if there is any positive case," Hazarika said.

A total of 55 persons coming from China were kept under surveillance in Assam for 28 days Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika told the Assam Assembly.He said that two persons are admitted in a hospital in the state since January 15, howevere their test results have come back negative. Replying to a query by BJP MLA Numal Momin, he said no person has been found infected with novel Coronavirus in Assam till now.

An Army officer was admitted to the isolation ward of a military hospital in Madhya​ Pradesh's Mhow for suspected exposure to the coronavirus, PTI quoted a health official as saying. The 32-year-old officer returned on 25 February from Tehran, Iran's capital, and was admitted to hospital after he complained of sore throat, said Dr Santosh Sisodia, district in-charge of Integrated Disease Surveillance Program. "His condition is fine. He has been kept under medical observation in an isolation ward. His blood and swab samples are being sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing," Sisodia added.

The Gujarat government has decided to open isolation ward in each of the 33 districts for treatment of any suspected novel coronavirus case, while 87 people, who recently returned from the virus-hit Iran, have been kept under home-quarantine, PTI reported state health officials as saying. Passengers arriving at the Ahemdabad airport are being screened, the official added.

He arrived here from South Korea on 29 February, he added. "He only has a sore throat and is stable. No symptoms suggestive of coronavirus have been found yet. We have received the patient in IGMC for diagnostic and prevention only," Raj said.

A suspected coronavirus patient has been admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, a health official said on Tuesday. The 32-year-old man from Bilaspur is currently suffering from sore throat, IGMC senior medical superintendent Janak Raj said.

The issue cropped up during Zero Hour in the assembly when Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal sought to know if it was safe to use the tablets given to all legislators by the government last week. The tablets had been imported from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij informed the state assembly on Tuesday that authorities have made adequate arrangements to deal with any emergent situation in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Twenty-one Italian nationals were brought from a hotel in South Delhi to Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) quarantine facility in Chhawla for preventive isolation today. Their samples have been taken for testing and results are awaited.

ANI quoted Indian Army sources as saying that an Indian Army Major, who returned from Iran, has been asked to remain in isolation at his official residence in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow, as precautionary measure. He is not admitted to any military hospital and voluntarily offered himself for medical investigation, the report said.

Amid a coronavirus scare in Delhi-NCR, the demand for surgical and N95 masks increased manifold in Noida, reports PTI. People claimed surgical masks which usually sell for Rs 10, were being sold for Rs 40 or higher, and N95 masks which sell for around Rs 150 were being sold for up to Rs 500 "They had run out of the recommended N95 masks so I had to buy the surgical mask," Prince Tyagi, a senior manager at a private firm in Sector 62 told PTI. People also complained about shortage of hand sanitising gel in the market.

"We have called on governments to develop incentives for manufacturers to ramp up production. This includes easing restrictions on the export and distribution of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies," he said.

In its daily press briefing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed concern over the rapid depletion of protective gear needed to fight the coronavirus. "We are concerned that countries' abilities to respond are being compromised by the severe and increasing disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment ... caused by rising demand, hoarding and misuse," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva, adding that shortages were leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers "dangerously ill-equipped" to care for COVID-19 patients.

He arrived here from South Korea on 29 February, he added. "He only has a sore throat and is stable. No symptoms suggestive of coronavirus have been found yet. We have received the patient in IGMC for diagnostic and prevention only," Raj said.

A suspected coronavirus patient has been admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, a health official said on Tuesday. The 32-year-old man from Bilaspur is currently suffering from sore throat, IGMC senior medical superintendent Janak Raj said.

The issue cropped up during Zero Hour in the assembly when Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal sought to know if it was safe to use the tablets given to all legislators by the government last week. The tablets had been imported from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij informed the state assembly on Tuesday that authorities have made adequate arrangements to deal with any emergent situation in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Delhi: 21 Italian nationals were brought from a hotel in South Delhi to Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) quarantine facility in Chhawla for preventive isolation today. Their samples have been taken for testing and results are awaited. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/6n3jR1QT4E

Twenty-one Italian nationals were brought from a hotel in South Delhi to Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) quarantine facility in Chhawla for preventive isolation today. Their samples have been taken for testing and results are awaited.

ANI quoted Indian Army sources as saying that an Indian Army Major, who returned from Iran, has been asked to remain in isolation at his official residence in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow, as precautionary measure. He is not admitted to any military hospital and voluntarily offered himself for medical investigation, the report said.

In a statement, the central bank said it was cutting rates by a half percentage point to a target range of 1.00 percent to 1.25 percent. “The fundamentals of the US economy remain strong. However, the coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity. In light of these risks and in support of achieving its maximum employment and price stability goals, the Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower the target range for the federal funds rate,” the statement further said.

The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates in an emergency move designed to shield the world’s largest economy from the impact of the coronavirus, reports Reuters.

Officials said Tuesday that the number of virus cases in Italy, the epicenter of Europe's COVID-19 outbreak, rose by nearly 500 to 2,502 cases. Most of the cases and deaths have occurred in Italy's northern region of Lombardy, which the U.S. government has advised Americans to avoid. Authorities say 229 patients, or roughly 10percent of Italy's positive cases, are in intensive care.

According to AP, Italian officials said the number of deaths of coronavirus patients in Italy has more than doubled in a 24-hour period to 79 overall, the most so far outside of China. According to the national Civil Protection Agency, since a briefing onMonday, 45 additional deaths were reported. Officials say nearly all the deaths have occurred in elderly people or patients with serious chronic health problems such as kidney failure, heart disease or cancer.

Airports Authority of India's regional executive director Sanjeev Jindal told ANI that all passengers (domestic and international) were being screened at the 12 airports in northeastern India. He also said that isolation wards were being set up in district hospitals for people displaying symptons similar to that of COVID-19.

Of the 11 who have been quarantined, two are Italians, one Japanese, one from Hong Kong and seven are Indians. The four foreigners have travel history to Japan and countries in southeast Asia that have reported coronavirus cases, the officials said. They, however, did not give details about the travel history of the seven Indians who have been quarantined. Principal of SMS medical college Dr Sudhir Bhandari said the 11 do not have coronavirus symptoms but they were screened and quarantined because of their travel history.

Eleven people including four foreigners were quarantined at a hospital in Jaipur and their samples sent for testing possible exposure to coronavirus after they self-reported for screening, officials said. "They have been quarantined at the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) hospital. Their test report will come on Wednesday," SMS Hospital Superintendent Dr DS Meena told PTI.

Coronavirus outbreak updates: In its daily press briefing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed concern over the rapid depletion of protective gear needed to fight the coronavirus arising due to 'rising demand, hoarding and misuse'.

An Army officer was admitted to the isolation ward of a military hospital in Madhya​ Pradesh's Mhow for suspected exposure to the coronavirus, PTI quoted a health official as saying. The 32-year-old officer returned on 25 February from Tehran, Iran's capital, and was admitted to hospital after he complained of sore throat.

The DGCA, issuing instructions to airlines regarding precautions against coronavirus on Tuesday, also said that hand sanitising facilities should be available in multiple locations on airports for staff and passengers, News18 reported. The report further quoted DGCA as asking airlines to ensure that protective gear is provided for passengers in flights.

The wife of the Italian tourist found to have been infected with coronavirus also tested positive for the virus, PTI quoted an official of the Rajasthan Health Department as saying. He added that her samples are being sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for another test.

Chinese smartphone companies Xiaomi and realme have canceled their launch events scheduled for the next two weeks in the wake of coronavirus fears in the country, reported PTI. While realme was scheduled to unveil its realme 6 series on 5 March, Xiaomi was slated to launch Redmi Note series on 12 March.

Addressing a press briefing along with health minister Satyender Jain, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that apart from the case reported yesterday, no new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the National Capital. He also outlined the measures taken by the state government. "In 25 hospitals (19 government and 6 private), the process of setting up of isolation wards is underway. 3.5 lakh masks, 8000 separation kits have been made available," he said, adding that twelve testing facilities were operational in the National Capital.

The Italian tourist placed in an isolation ward at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed cases in India to 6, PTI quoted health ministry sources as saying.

The Hyatt Regency Hotel has asked its staff present at the La Piazza Restaurant on 28 February to stay in quarantine for 14 days as part of its elevated precautionary measures, reported News18. The coronavirus patient from Delhi had held a birthday party at the restaurant on Friday.

The Reserve Bank said it is closely monitoring global as well as domestic situation regarding the impact of deadly coronavirus and ready to take necessary action to ensure the orderly functioning of financial markets.

Globally, financial markets have been experiencing considerable volatility, with the spread of coronavirus, triggering risk-off sentiments and flights to safe haven, it said in a statement

Even as suspected coronavirus cases were being reported in some parts of the country, the government on Tuesday restrained the exports of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations. In a notification, the government put curbs on the exports of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations, including Paracetamol, Vitamin B1 and B12 amid the coronavirus outbreak claimed over 3,000 lives across the world, reported PTI. Accordingly, the exports of 26 APIs and formulations require licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Two private schools in Noida cancelled classes on Tuesday for the next few days as a precautionary measure over the father of a student testing positive for coronavirus, officials said. The two schools announced their closure in messages sent to the parents. One of the schools, where a student's father tested positive, said it will remain shut from 4 to 6 March.

Narendra Modi took to Twitter to discuss the preventive measures taken by the government to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus. He said that he had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19. Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal calls an urgent meeting with Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday to discuss government's preparations to deal with coronavirus.

India on Tuesday, has suspended all regular,e-visas issued to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan issued on or before 3 March 2020, and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect, according to report.

According to Press Information Bureau, cases with high viral load have been detected during sample testing in Agra. These cases are the ones who had come in contact with the COVID-19 patient from New Delhi on Monday. Hotels and tourists sites in Agra have been instructed to inform the office of the Chief Medical Officer as soon as visitors from Italy, Iran or China arrive, so that they can be screened for coronavirus infection, an official said on Tuesday.

The coronavirus outbreak is spreading to ever more countries and world capitals on Tuesday, and the US death toll climbed to six, even as new cases in China dropped to their lowest level in over a month. A Noida school has been closed amid concerns that a Delhi resident who contracted coronavirus in Italy attended a birthday party last week in which his children, as well as their schoolmates, were present.

UP medical authorities are on their way to school, which has reportedly cancelled exams that were scheduled from today

Earlier on Monday, the Union health ministry confirmed two new cases of infection by Novel Coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, in India. The first patient is in New Delhi and recently travelled back from Italy - the worst affected European nation where nearly 1,700 people have contracted the infection and 34 have died. The second infection is in Telangana, and the patient has a history of travel to Dubai.

A shift in the crisis appeared to be taking shape: Hundreds of patients were released from hospitals at the epicentre of the outbreak in China, while the World Health Organization reported that nine times as many new infections were recorded outside the country as inside it over the past 24 hours.

Alarming clusters of the disease continued to swell in South Korea, Italy and Iran, and the virus turned up for the first time in New York, Moscow and Berlin, as well as Latvia, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Jordan and Portugal. The worldwide death toll topped 3,000, and the number of those infected rose to about 89,000 in 70 countries on every continent but Antarctica.

Global health officials sought to reassure the public that the virus remains a manageable threat.

“Containment is feasible and must remain the top priority for all countries,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

China reported 125 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, marking the lowest number of new daily infections in six weeks. There were also 31 more deaths, all in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, raising the nationwide toll to 2,943.

Over 100 cases have been confirmed in the US, with more almost certainly in the coming weeks. Thousands of test kits were on their way to state and local labs, and new guidelines intended to expand screening were put in place.

“In this situation, the facts defeat fear. Because the reality is reassuring. It is deep-breath time," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

The message was echoed by global health officials, who said they were encouraged that even in some countries that had taken far less aggressive measures than China’s, the virus remains largely in check.

Because the virus is not transmitted as easily as the flu, “it offers us a glimmer ... that this virus can be suppressed and contained,” said Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies chief.

Dr Zhang Junjian, who leads a temporary hospital in Wuhan with a staff of 1,260, said optimism is high that the facility will no longer be needed in the coming weeks.

But in other places, problems continued to multiply.

South Korea, with the worst outbreak outside China, reported 599 new cases, bringing its total to 4,335. The death toll rose to 26.

In Iran, a confidant of Iran's supreme leader died from the virus. The Islamic Republic confirmed 1,501 cases and 66 deaths, but many believe the true number is larger. Its reported caseload surged more than 250% in just 24 hours.

Italy’s caseload rose to 2,036, including 52 deaths. Officials said it could take up to two weeks before they know whether measures including quarantining 11 towns in northern Italy are slowing the spread of the virus.

In the US, meanwhile, four Americans exposed to the virus aboard a Japanese cruise ship were released from quarantine in Nebraska after testing negative.