Mumbai ''dabbawalas'' suspend tiffin services till March 31

Mumbai, Mar 19: To contain the spread of coronavirus, Mumbai''s famed dabbawalas have suspended their tiffin courier services from March 20-31, an official spokesperson said here on Thursday.

"Adhering to the directives of the state government to avoid spreading the coronavirus, we have decided to suspend our services from tomorrow (March 20) till March 31. We plan to resume operations from April 1," Mumbai Dabbawalas Association spokesperson Subhas Talekar told IANS.

The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 170 with 152 active cases on Wednesday after a 23-year-old woman has tested positive. She has travel history to the United Kingdom.

India tally now stands at 170 as14 fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry.

The cases include 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Italy, 3 from Philippines, one each belonging to Canada, United Kingdom, Indonesia and Singapore. The figure also includes three deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Delhi has, so far, reported 10 positive cases which includes one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 16 cases, including one foreigner. Maharashtra has 42 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 27 cases which include two foreign nationals.