India reported 50 fresh cases of COVID-19, highest in a day, taking the tally to 223 on Friday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed with chief ministers ways to check and prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives globally.
A spike in numbers prompted the states and UTs to reinforce its efforts to contain the spread. While the Maharashtra Chief Minister said all workplaces in major cities, including in country's commercial hub Mumbai and Pune, will remain closed till March 31, the Delhi Chief Minister announced shutting down of all malls in the national capital, but exempted grocery stores and pharmacies in them.
As coronavirus continued its upward trajectory across the country, authorities faced double-barrel challenge --strengthening its check and prevention mechanism, and addressing public panic, leading to hoarding of essential items.
Despite appeals by leaders not to panic and not to hoard items, long lines were seen at grocery stores, pharmacies and outlets selling other essential stuff, throwing the caution of “social distancing” to the wind.
Janata curfew
Many in public dealing, including traders, responded to Modi's call for a “janata curfew” on Sunday, saying they would shut their establishments while a number of people opted for self-isolation as a precaution.
Passengers on a local train at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai on Friday (PTI photo)
According to sources, no passenger trains will ply from 00:00 hours till 10 pm on Sunday while all suburban train services to be reduced to a bare minimum during the janata curfew.
32 foreign nationals
Among those found positive for the novel coronavirus in India are 32 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
The figure also included four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra so far.
“The total number of active COVID 2019 cases across India stands at 196 so far,” the Union health ministry said, adding that 23 others have been cured/discharged/migrated while four have died.
A 69-year-old Italian tourist who had “recovered” from the novel coronavirus died at a private hospital in Jaipur after suffering a massive cardiac arrest late on Thursday night, SMS Medical College principal Sudhir Bhandari said.
Maharashtra logs 52 cases
Delhi has, so far, reported 17 positive cases which included one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 23 cases, including one foreigner. Maharashtra has 52 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 28 cases which included two foreign nationals.
Disinfectants is sprayed as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 in Hyderabad on Friday (AP photo)
Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. The number of cases in Ladakh rose to 10 and Jammu and Kashmir four. Telangana has reported 17 cases which included nine foreigners. Rajasthan has also reported 17 cases including two foreigners. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were also imposed in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district from Friday after a doctor at a private hospital was tested positive for COVID-19. While Tamil Nadu and Andhara Pradesh have reported three cases each, there are 17 cases, including 14 foreigners in Haryana. Odisha has two cases while Uttarakhand has three so far. West Bengal and Punjab reported two cases each while Pondicherry and Chandigarh Punjab have reported one case each.
Modi video conference with CMs
A day after he addressed the nation on coronavirus during which he asked people to remain indoors and only come out if it was extremely necessary, Modi held a video conference with chief ministers and discussed ways to check the spread of the virus.
Issues such as capacity building of states and extending training to local health officials were also discussed in the call which was attended by Amrinder Singh (Punjab), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh, sources said.
The Prime Minister has been pitching for involvement of people and local authorities to check the spread of the virus.
Uttarakhand tourist ban
The Uttarakhand government banned the entry of domestic and foreign tourists into the state till further orders to contain the spread of coronavirus. Uttarakhand is the second state to do so after Sikkim.
With a Punjab woman, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, fleeing from the hospital and subsequently booked for doing so, Union minister G.Kishan Reddy urged family members to not resist government movesto test and quarantine people returning from countries battling coronavirus.
Sporting and Bollywood fraternity also did their bit in creating awareness with India's cricket captain Virat Kohli and his actor wife Anushka Sharma issuing a joint appeal for self-isolation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
