Five from a family have tested positive for coronavirus infection in Kerala, Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said on Sunday, according to reports. The infected were three members of a family who returned to Pathanamthitta from Italy on February 29; two of their relatives tested positive along with them. Onmanorama reported the minister saying that the trio who returned from Italy—a man, his wife and son—did not report at the airport, flouting government guidelines. She said they also refused to report to the nearest medical officer after coming home, expressing concerns over such irresponsible behaviour. The medical department came to know about the family after their relatives were admitted to a hospital with symptoms of COVID-19. All the five have been isolated in Pathnamathitta general hospital and are under observation. Their tests were confirmed on Saturday night.
Earlier, three more persons tested positive for the coronavirus in India, taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 34, as the government stepped up efforts to combat it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi directing officials to identify places for sufficient quarantine facilities and make provisions for critical care. Two of these persons are from Ladakh with travel history to Iran while the other is from Tamil Nadu who had visited Oman, the union health ministry said, adding all the patients are stable. It also said more that 150 people, who had come in contact with two American nationals who tested positive for coronavirus in Bhutan and had toured various places in India, have been put under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
In the evening, the Delhi health department said a woman, who came in contact with a Paytm employee who tested positive for coronavirus, has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital here for suspected infection. In a bulletin, the department said she is kept under isolation at the hospital, adding confirmation is awaited. Many states cancelled official functions to celebrate Holi and took several preventive measures to check the spread of coronavirus.
India's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers match against Qatar scheduled for March 26 in Bhubaneswar has been postponed while Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said "discussion" is underway on whether the IPL, set to start from March 29 in Mumbai with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, should be postponed in view of the coronavirus scare.
During the day, PM Modi reviewed the coronavirus situation in the country at a meeting with officials of all ministries and departments concerned and also directed them to identify locations for sufficient quarantine facilities.
He told them that in view of expert opinion, people should be advised to avoid mass gatherings as much as possible and made aware of the do's and don'ts.