Coronavirus cases in India reaches 43 as 63-year-old woman tests positive in J&K

New Delhi, Mar 09: The number of coronavirus cases in India have rose to 43 after a 63-year-old woman tests positive in Jammu and Kashmir, making it the first case of the union territory.

"As of today, there are 43 total cases (3 positive cases from Kerala which are now discharged), out of which 40 are active cases of COVID-19 in the country. 4 (Four) new cases of COVID-19 have been reported since yesterday's update - 1 (one) from Ernakulum, Kerala, 1 (one) from Delhi, 1(one) from Uttar Pradesh and 1 (One) from Jammu," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Monday.

Earlier in the day, a 3-year-old who recently traveled to virus-hit Italy, tested positive in Kerala's Eranakulam district on Monday. The child has been kept in isolation ward at Ernakulam Medical College.

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said the state has been put on high alert in the wake of the five new cases, reported more than a fortnight after India's first three coronavirus patients -medical students from Wuhan- were discharged from hospitals in the state.

The child and its parents who had reached the Cochin International Airport Limited at 6 am on March 7 from Italy were subjected to thermal screening at the universal surveillance system established, officials said.

Detecting symptoms of coronavirus in the child, they were immediately referred to isolation ward of the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital, they said. The samples of the child sent for examination at the NiV lab at Alappuzha have tested positive for Coronavirus, they said. The samples of the parents have also been sent for lab test, the officials added.

Sunday witnessed the second biggest rise in the number of Coronavirus cases in India. Kerala reported five more positive cases taking the total number of confirmed cases in India to 39.

Total of six cases in Kerala include a couple and their child, a son, who had returned from virus-hit Italy and evaded Coronavirus screening at the airport.

The government has enhanced thermal screening at all entry points into the country including airports and sea-ports. Various facilities to isolate and quarantine suspected and confirmed cases have been set up by states.

Meanwhile, a diabetic man in West Bengal, who was kept in isolation ward of Murshidabad, hospital died on Sunday. He was admitted in the isolation ward after suspected symptoms of Coronavirus. He had returned from Saudi Arabia.

Test results of his blood and swab samples for COVID-19 were awaited.