The health ministry said as of 10.45 pm on Saturday, of the 315 cases, 22 had been cured of the virus.
New Delhi, March 22:
Trains across the country will not run till March 25, sources said as the number of coronavirus or COVID-19 cases crossed 300 last night in the biggest jump the country has seen. Two more coronavirus-linked deaths took place – one in Bihar and the other in Mumbai, taking the total number of deaths to six. There are 341 active coronavirus cases, officials said on Sunday, as millions across India observed a 14-hour self-quarantine or “Janata Curfew” recommended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The health ministry said as of 10.45 pm on Saturday, of the 315 cases, 22 had been cured of the virus, which has globally infected more than 300,000 people and left some 13,000 dead.
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At a meeting this morning, the railway board decided to stop the train services, sources said. The decision came after 12 passengers who travelled in trains on March 13 and 16 were found to be COVID-positive later. To check the virus, Jharkhand has written to the Railway Board asking that trains be stopped from entering the state till March 31
A 38-year-old man died at the Patna AIIMS who recently returned from Qatar, Bihar health secretary Sanjay Kumar said. Though the cause of death was renal failure, the man was COVID-19 positive, he added. One more death was reported from Mumbai. The patient, who was 63 years old, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The government has advised states to enforce social distancing and has suggested shutting down all educational institutions, gymnasiums, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres till March 31. Many states have suspended bus operations to prevent an exodus of daily wage earners from cities to villages. Goa, one of India’s most popular holiday destinations, has shut down its borders to mass passengers and tourist vehicles.
In Delhi, metros are not running today for the Janata Curfew. Officials say metro services will also be largely closed on Monday except for a few hours to push social distancing.
Punjab and Rajasthan have ordered a “full shutdown” until March 31, suspending all public transport and closing malls and shops. Rajasthan said food packets and wheat will be distributed among the poor. Punjab had also shut down public transport earlier.
Gujarat has announced a lockdown for four cities, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara, until Wednesday. Only shops selling essentials like vegetables, dairy products, and medical items will remain open
International flights are banned for a week and many airlines have talked about reducing flights.
Across the country, famous temples like the Tirumala and tourist spots like Taj Mahal have shut down to prevent crowds, which could escalate the virus transmission.
Maharashtra has the highest number of cases, 63, including three foreigners, followed by Kerala at 40, including seven foreign nationals. Delhi has reported 27 positive cases, which include one foreigner. Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner. Telangana has reported 21 cases, including 11 foreigners. Rajasthan and Haryana have reported 17 cases.
Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. Punjab and Ladakh have 13 cases each. Gujarat has seven cases while Jammu and Kashmir has four. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have reported three cases each. Odisha has two cases. Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh have reported a case each.
Courtesy: NDTV
