Agencies

New Delhi, March 11:

The total number of coronavirus confirmed cases in India crossed 50 on Wednesday amid fresh confirmations of infections in Rajasthan. An 85-year-old man in Jaipur, who had returned from Dubai on 28 February, has tested positive for coronavirus, a state government official said on Wednesday, was the newest addition, taking the current toll to 62.

Eighteen more people have tested positive for coronavirus — eight in Kerala and four each in Karnataka, five in Maharashtra and one in Jammu and Kashmir, as the number of such cases went up to 61 on Tuesday. Amid the COVID-19 scare, a combination of two anti-HIV drugs was used for the first time in India in the treatment of two patients. The health ministry said the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 50, adding the rest are being retested for confirmation. If the fresh cases declared by the state governments are taken into account, the figure goes up to 62.

 Coronavirus cases climb to 62 in India, including 85-yr-old Jaipur man; govt temporarily suspends visa facilities to 3 more countries

A medic official uses thermal screeing device on a passenger in the wake of deadly coronavirus, at an airport in Dibrugarh, Assam. PTI

India on Tuesday also barred entry of the nationals of three more countries — France, Germany and Spain — suspending the regular as well as e-Visas granted to them to date. “All regular (sticker) Visas/e-Visas granted to nationals of France, Germany and Spain and issued on or before 11 March and who have not yet entered India stand suspended with immediate effect,” said a Bureau of Immigration notification issued late Tuesday night.

Regular visas, including e visas, granted to all foreign nationals who have travel history to these countries on or after 1 February and who have not yet entered India also stands suspended, it said.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that six new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the state, taking the total number of infections in the state to 17 on Tuesday. Keeping in mind the fresh rise in cases, Vijayan announced severe restrictions, including the closure of educational institutions and cinema houses till the month-end, in a bid to halt its further spread.

Vijayan said at least 1,116 people are under observation — 149 in isolation wards of various hospitals and 967 under home quarantine.

Late on Tuesday, Shailaja said two more confirmed cases were detected in Kerala with the parents of a three-year-old boy, who tested positive for COVID-19 in Kochi on Monday on the family’s return from Italy, being the latest patients.

In Kerala, schools and colleges and cinemas will remain closed in the state till 31 March. Classes 1 to 7 of all schools — state, CBSE and ICSE boards — will remain shut and examinations which have begun for them will be put on hold. Examinations for Class 10, Class 12 and vocational higher secondary will, however, continue. Final examinations of Classes 8 and 9 also will proceed as usual.

Fourteen of the 21 Italian nationals and an Indian national, lodged in a quarantine camp at Indo-Tibetan Border Police’s (ITBP) facility in Chhawla, had been infected with the coronavirus. The Italians were part of a group of 23 tourists who had visited Rajasthan last month. The driver accompanying them, — an Indian national — was also infected. On of the tourists of the group is currently quarantined in Jaipur after he tested positive. His wife was also infected and is under observation.  14 of them have now been sent to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram, Haryana.

S. No. Name of State / UT Total Confirmed cases
Total Confirmed cases ( Foreign National )
1 Delhi 4 0
2 Haryana 0 14
3 Kerala 17 0
4 Rajasthan 1 2
5 Telengana 1 0
6 Uttar Pradesh 9 0
7 Union Territory of Ladakh 2 0
8 Tamil Nadu 1 0
9 Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir 1 0
10 Punjab 1 0
11 Karnataka 4 0
12 Maharashtra 2 0
Total number of confirmed cases in India  62