One suspected Coronavirus death in Karnataka; total confirmed cases in India reaches 62

New Delhi, Mar 11: The number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the country has risen to 62, with two fresh positive cases -- one each from Delhi and Rajasthan -- being reported, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The figure includes five positive cases reported in Delhi and nine persons who were diagnosed with the infection in Uttar Pradesh till Wednesday morning. The total number of 62 confirmed cases includes 16 Italians, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, a 76-year-old man who was suspected to be infected with coronavirus died in Karnataka's Kalaburagi on Wednesday. An official note of the department in the district headquarters town identified him as Mohammed Hussain Siddiqui, who died in a government hospital on Tuesday. "His swab samples have been sent for a lab in Bengaluru. The report is awaited," Department officials said. Siddiqui had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, where he had gone on a pilgrimage.

Karnataka and Maharashtra have reported four and two confirmed cases of COVID-19 respectively. Ladakh has recorded two positive cases.

Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab have reported one case each, the ministry said.

Kerala has till now reported nine cases which includes the three patients who were discharged last month following recovery.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who spoke to a few COVID-19 patients admitted at Medanta and Safdarjung hospitals through video calls on Tuesday, said all the people infected by the disease were stable and showing signs of recovery.

According to the protocol currently followed, a suspected case is tested at least twice before it is confirmed as 'positive'.

Amid rising cases of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, India on Tuesday barred entry of the nationals of three more countries -- France, Germany and Spain -- suspending the regular as well as e-visas granted to them till date.

"All regular (sticker) Visas/e-Visas granted to nationals of France, Germany and Spain and issued on or before March 11 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 February 1 and who have not yet entered India also stand suspended, it said.

Issuing a travel advisory, the health ministry also called for passengers with travel history to China, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Iran, Malaysia, France, Spain and Germany to undergo self-imposed quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of their arrival, and their employers to facilitate work-from-home for such employees during this period.

India had already suspended visas granted to the nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan and China.

The Union Health Ministry has strongly urged people to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, Japan, France, Spain and Germany and advised them to avoid non-essential travel abroad in view of the coronavirus outbreak.