Tag: Coronavirus in India

Coronavirus outbreak: What to do if you suspect infection and other FAQs answered

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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What is Coronavirus or COVID-19?

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a larger family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.  COVID-19 is the specific illness related to the current outbreak, which has not been previously identified in humans. The acronym stands for “coronavirus disease 2019,” which refers to the year the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December. The name of the virus is SARS-CoV-2.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are fever, tiredness, and dry cough, according to the WHO. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

How does it spread?

People contract COVID-19 from other people who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from when a person coughs or exhales. Infected people can transfer the infection to other things and surfaces like door knobs, lift buttons, handrails etc. Those droplets land on surfaces and other people can become infected by touching the objects and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can live on surfaces for as long as 9 days, according to some independent experts, although the WHO says it is currently unknown the virus can live on a surface.

How long does it take to show symptoms?

The coronavirus median incubation period is about 5 days, with most people developing symptoms within 12 days. Most government are putting people under a self-quarantine period of 14 days.

Is there a vaccine?

To date, there is no known vaccine and currently, clinical trials are underway to find specific drug treatments. The best cure right now is prevention.

What can you do in case of symptoms or information about suspected cases?

In order to aid the citizens of India within the country and the Non-Resident Indian citizens (NRIs), the government has extended helplines and websites to inform, answer and act to the queries and complaints regarding coronavirus, to control the to control the spread of the disease.

All-India Helpline Number is 011-23978046.

What measures has the Indian govt taken to prevent its spread?

The Central government has initiated strong measures to detect and prevent a mass outbreak of the virus in the country. India has virtually quarantined itself for the next one month by suspending all existing visas till April 15. Incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, are advised to avoid non-essential travel and are informed that they can be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days on their arrival in India.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has an approved list of 52 labs where individuals suspected of having novel coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms can be tested.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Coronavirus India news updates: COVID-19 cases rise to 73

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As many as 73 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus cases have been detected in India as of Thursday noon. Of the total number of confirmed cases, 56 are Indians and rest are foreign nationals, as per the Union health ministry. A total of 10,57,506 have been screened in India so far. More than 126,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 4,624 have died, according to Reuters.

Here are the latest updates related to the novel coronavirus cases in India so far today:

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha said the initial focus is to bring back Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran, which is grappling with cases of coronavirus. “As per available information, there are about 6000 Indian nationals in various provinces of Iran, including 1100 pilgrims mainly from Ladakh, J&K and Maharashtra, nearly 300 students primarily from J&K; about a 1000 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Gujarat and others who are on longer-term stay visas in Iran for pursuing their livelihood.
• Authorities in Pune have warned of penal action against those who reveal the identity of patients testing positive for coronavirus on social media platforms.
• A tour guide from Noida who tested positive for Covid-19 is officially the NCR township’s first positive case.
• The Delhi High Court directed the Centre on Thursday to ensure that the Indian embassy in Iran gets in touch with the Indian students stranded there in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
• Investor wealth worth over Rs 11 lakh crore was wiped off on Thursday as equity markets crashed amid global equity selloff after World Health Organization termed the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
• Tata Sons has asked its employees to avoid even non-essential domestic travel, and limit essential face-to-face meetings to 20 people, as the number of people infected with Covid-19 grows in India.
• Two students from Maharashtra’s Amravati district are stranded in Italy, prompting their parents to urge the local MP to facilitate their safe return to India.
• The Supreme Court refuses to accord urgent hearing on a plea seeking postponement of IPL-2020 amid coronavirus scare.
• The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) decides to put on hold all national and state championships till April 15, to avoid large gatherings in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
• No foreign player will be available for this year’s IPL till April 15 due to visa restrictions imposed by the government to contain coronavirus threat, top BCCI source says.
• The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra has urged the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) local chapter to postpone its conferences planned in near future due to coronavirus scare.
• A woman doctor from Canada has tested coronavirus positive in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, taking the total of such cases in the state to 10.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus cases in India rise to 74, says union health ministry

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The coronavirus cases in India rose to 74 on Thursday after 14 fresh cases were reported from several states, including nine from Maharashtra, union health ministry said, as the Delhi government declared COVID-19 an epidemic and announced shutting down of schools, colleges and cinema halls till March 31.

As the Centre and the states ramped up their efforts to tackle novel coronavirus, which has claimed at least 4,600 lives globally and affected nearly 125,293, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the countrymen not to panic and asserted that the government was fully vigilant.

Apart from directing the Union ministers not to travel abroad in the upcoming days, Modi also urged people to avoid non-essential travel, saying, “We can break the chain of spread and ensure the safety of all by avoiding large gatherings.”

A day after it suspended all visas, except a few categories such as diplomatic and employment, till April 15, the government also announced that three planes will be sent in the next three days to bring back Indians stranded in Iran, one of the worst coronavirus-hit country.

Asking people not to panic, the Union health ministry said no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there has only been cases of local transmission so far.

With the novel coronavirus being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, Raman R Gangakhedkar, the head of the Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases-I, a division of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said even though the virus is difficult to isolate, scientists at the National Institute of Virology in Pune have been successful in finding about 11 isolates, but developing a vaccine will take at least one-and-a-half to two years.

The total number of 74 patients in India includes 16 Italians and one Canadian. The figure is inclusive of three patients from Kerala who were discharged last month following recovery.

Giving a state-wise breakup, the ministry said Delhi reported six positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 10. Karnataka has four cases, Maharashtra 11 and Ladakh three.

Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each. Kerala has recorded 17 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month.

Lav Aggarwal, the Joint Secretary in the ministry, said 1,500 people who came in contact with these 74 infected people were under rigorous observation while over 30,000 people across the country were under community surveillance.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government declared coronavirus an epidemic and said all those schools and colleges where exams are over should be shut down as also cinema halls till March 31.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Anil Baijal and top government officials.

Disinfecting all public places, including government and private offices and shopping malls has been made compulsory, Kejriwal said.

On its part, the defence ministry has set up seven more quarantine facilities, especially for Indian citizens being brought to back from the coronavirus-hit countries, an official said. The facilities have been set up at Jaisalmer, Suratgadh, Jhansi, Jodhpur, Deolali, Kolkata and Chennai.

The Army is already operating a quarantine facility in Manesar while the one in Hindon, near Ghaziabad, is being operated by the air force.

Asserting that the focus is on preventive approach, and adequate testing facilities have been made available, Aggarwal said India presently has around 1 lakh testing kits and more testing kits have been ordered.

About evacuation measures undertaken so far, Aggarwal said till now, India has evacuated 948 people from the coronavirus-affected countries.

Of these, 900 were Indians and 48 belonged to different nationalities including from the Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, the USA, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru, he said.

Aggarwal said the government has made 52 laboratories functional for testing samples while 57 labs have been designated for helping in sample collection to enhance diagnosis and detection capacity of the disease.

The health officials also said that India’s efforts to deal with coronavirus are in consonance with WHO and the focus is on preventive approach.

The government has stepped up vigil and following a strong contact tracing system to ensure anyone who has come in touch with the infected are not missed out, they said, adding till now, 11,14,025 people have been screened at 30 designated airports in India.

Asked whether high temperature kills the coronavirus, officials said there was no study or evidence till now to suggest that.

As the contagious disease with flu-like symptoms spread across the globe, the cabinet secretary on Wednesday said states and Union Territories should invoke provisions of section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, so that all advisories issued by the Union health ministry and state governments are enforceable.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has advised against holding this year’s IPL edition in wake of the coronavirus scare but left it to the organisers to take a final call on it.

This was stated by MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi who has been appointed as the nodal officer to coordinate efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

India has suspended all visas, except for a few categories such as diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in a bid to contain the spread of the respiratory virus, according to a revised travel advisory. Visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cardholders is also kept in abeyance till April 15, according to the advisory issued on Wednesday.

It said, any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission and that all incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after February 15 will be quarantined for a minimum 14 days.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus in India: Here’s how this deadly infection impacts your financial health

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Coronavirus has so far wiped out $5 trillion of the global wealth as markets are in panic mode. Domestic benchmark indices saw several instances of heightened volatility in February when Sensex plunged more than 1,000 points in a single trading session. While authorities have stepped up efforts to detect and prevent a mass outbreak of the epidemic in India, it is also pertinent to assess the impact of the deadly virus on the financial health of individual portfolios.

Is this the time for panic or an opportunity to review financial plan?

According to Vijay Kuppa, Co- Founder, Orowealth — a direct mutual fund investment platform — panic will not lead to any recovery. “In fact it will increase the magnitude of the fall. So it is better to re-look the financial plan,” he said.

Here are some key tips that one can use to safeguard the financial health of the portfolio:

Evaluate investment

According to financial experts, when it comes to individual investments, it is important to assess goals and time horizon. Someone, who is investing for retirement, has still a long way to go. There may be multiple market cycles for them. Investors, with short-term goals, may however need to pare down the amount of risk they are taking, experts suggest.

Also read: Do travel insurance policies cover the health risk like this? 

Plan for emergency fund

One should try to have adequate emergency funds in any condition. An emergency fund can go a long way in meeting the short-term goals and stay financially cushioned during sudden situations.

Have an adequate health insurance in place

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has asked insurers to address claims related to coronavirus. Many insurers have also launched coronavirus specific coverage insurance.

“Adequate health insurance will avoid the tendency to access assets held for some other financial goals,” said Kuppa. There are health insurance policies available in the market with adequate cover to tackle epidemic or pandemic episodes of unknown diseases along with the advancement of treatment and post-hospitalisation care.

In words of Vikas Mathur, Head — Health Insurance, Universal Sompo General Insurance, “It is advisable that one should always bank on a reliable health insurance policy which can provide easy cashless access to secondary or tertiary care hospitals nearby,” he said.

Do not liquidate

According to Kuppa, historically there have been many events that have caused the markets to panic. “However, we have seen markets recouping losses and hitting new lifetime highs. So, it is important to rebalance portfolio in order to reduce the overall volatility of the portfolio,” he said.

Keep the exposure to equities in check

In case the exposure to equities is been very less as a part of overall portfolio, experts suggest to leverage this opportunity to build an equity portfolio through Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs).

“Diversify across asset classes in order to minimize overall risk. Look into asset classes like Sovereign Gold Bonds, P2P lending, structured debt etc,” Kuppa explained.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus outbreak: Here’s a list of key numbers related to COVID-19

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India has stepped up its efforts to detect and prevent a mass outbreak of the coronavirus or COVID-19 as the country’s confirmed cases rose to 29 from six early this week.

Here’s a list of some key numbers to make sense of the scale of the global epidemic:

29: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus or COVID19 in India as of March 4.

14: The number of Italians, who have tested positive for coronavirus in India, have been shifted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon from an ITBP quarantine centre.

3,542: The number of samples sent for testing for coronavirus in India as of March 4. At least 29 out of 3,542 samples have been found to be positive, while the testing of 92 samples is still in process and 23 samples are being reconfirmed.

3,200: The number of dead across the world since the virus first surfaced in China in late December.

94,000: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the world.

150: The number of aircrafts Lufthansa will ground out of its total fleet of around 770 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the German airline said on March 4.

11: The number of US citizens dead due to coronavirus infection as of Wednesday, March 4.

5 billion euros: The amount the Italian government is likely to increase to help the economy withstand the outbreak of coronavirus, according to deputy economic minister Laura Castelli.

16 billion dollars (110.48 billion yuan): The amount China has allocated in coronavirus-related funding as of March 4, Chinese vice finance minister Xu Hongcai said at a press briefing on Thursday.

12 billion dollars: The amount the World Bank unveiled as aid package on Tuesday to fast-track funds to help countries combat the coronavirus outbreak.

92: The number of dead people among its more than 2,900 cases in Iran although many fear the outbreak in the Islamic Republic is far bigger.

145: The number of new coronavirus infection cases reported by South Korea on Thursday, raising its total to 5,766, second-highest in the world.

139: The number of new cases of coronavirus reported by China on Thursday, raising its totals to 80, 409 cases and 3,012 deaths, including 31 today. The number of cases was higher than Wednesday’s figure, but new deaths were lower, as the illness continues to decline in the country.

1,923: The number of patients declared cured from the coronavirus in China’s Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak.

1,036: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan as of Thursday morning, 36 more than the previous day, according to NHK. At least 12 people have died from the disease, according to the health ministry.

63 billion dollars: The amount the International Air Transport Association (IATA) sees 2020 global revenue losses for the passenger business (in a scenario where COVID-19 is contained in current markets with over 100 cases as of 2 March) and $113 billion (in a scenario with a broader spreading of COVID-19).

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus cases rise to 30, man from Ghaziabad tests positive; India-EU summit being rescheduled

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A man from Ghaziabad with a recent travel history to Iran has tested positive for novel coronavirus, taking the total number of such cases in the country to 30 as the government on Thursday asked states to form rapid response teams at district, block and village levels.

In some relief for Telangana, blood samples of two persons from the state which were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation tested negative.

Telangana Health Minister E Rajender said the samples were of a man who came from Italy and a sanitary worker at an IT company.

He said a software professional from the state working in Bengaluru who tested positive is suspected to have contracted it in Dubai and his condition is improving. The man is currently undergoing treatment at the state-run Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad.

Till Wednesday, 29 people, including 16 Italian tourists, tested positive for coronavirus. The list includes the first three cases in the country from Kerala last month. The three persons have been discharged following recovery.

Officials on Thursday said one more case of novel coronavirus was reported in Ghaziabad and the middle-aged man who recently travelled to Iran.

Meanwhile, five people who came in contact with the Paytm employee who works in Gurgaon and lives in west Delhi have been tested and quarantined till their results come in, Delhi government health officials said.

The Paytm employee, who tested positive for the contagious disease on Wednesday, came in touch with 91 people in Gurgaon, an official said, citing his counterpart in the suburban town.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced that all primary schools in the national capital will remain closed till March 31 to prevent the possibility of spread of coronavirus.

Primary classes of Kendriya Vidyalayas in the national capital will also remain closed till March 31. The outbreak also cast a shadow on the India-EU summit which was slated to be held later this month and will now be rescheduled.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IRDAI asks insurance companies to design policies for coronavirus treatment

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Regulator Irdai on Wednesday asked insurers to expeditiously settle hospitalisation claims related to coronavirus disease under health policies. It also instructed insurance companies to come out with policies to cover treatment costs for coronavirus infection, which has impacted thousands of people worldwide.

In order to provide need-based health insurance coverage, insurers are introducing products for various specific diseases, including vector borne diseases.

“For the purpose of meeting health insurance requirements of various sections, insurers are advised to design products covering the costs of treatment for coronavirus,” Irdai said in a circular.

There are 29 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in India.

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has asked insurers to expeditiously attend to claims for treatment of coronavirus.

“Where hospitalisation is covered in a product, insurers shall ensure that the cases related to coronvirus disease (COVID-19) shall be expeditiously handled,” it said.

Also, the costs of admissible medical expenses during the course of treatment, including the treatment during quarantine period, should be settled in accordance to the applicable terms and conditions of policy contract and the extant regulatory framework.

“All the claims reported under COVID-19 shall be thoroughly reviewed by review committee before repudiating the claims,” the circular added.

Over six lakh people have been screened for novel coronavirus at 21 airports. Also more than 10 lakh incoming people at India’s open borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar have been screened as well.

Commenting on the Irdai’s ciruclar, Subramanyam Brahmajoysula, Head (Underwriting and Reinsurance), SBI General Insurance said that claims due to coronavirus are payable provided the concerned person is hospitalised for at least 24 hours.

“Most of the health insurance policies in India do not cover outpatient treatment. However, if corona virus is declared as a pandemic by WHO or Indian government, then claims might not be payable as such claims are excluded under many health insurance policies,” Brahmajoysula said.

Ashish Mehrotra, MD and CEO, Max Bupa Health Insurance said that any policyholder hospitalised for coronavirus condition will be insured under “our hospitalisation policies” and company will expedite claims for the treatment.

However, the insurers are silent on whether they would be settling claims if a patient is being quarantined.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus in India: Do travel insurance policies cover the health risk like this?

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As more and more cases of coronavirus pandemic is pouring in, with India reporting 29 positive cases so far, it is important to ensure that travel insurance policies cover hospitalisation expenses in case of virus infection.

The virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has infected more than 93,000 people across the world and spread to more than 80 countries. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan announced that all international flights and passengers will have to go through screening.

Also read: Do health insurance policies cover a disease like coronavirus? 

What travel insurance plan offers?

A travel insurance plan offers coverage against all possible travel and medical emergencies while travelling within India and abroad. It can be procured from any general insurance company in India and could be customised according to the destination one travelling to.

According to Balu Ramachandran, senior vice-president at Cleartrip, travel insurance is mandatory in many destination countries to cover any medical emergency, “This is especially true for developed countries where this cost can be exorbitant,” he said.

Is it useful in case of disease like Corona?

According to Adhil Shetty, CEO, BankBazaar, with any kind of insurance, the onus is on the individual as the policyholder has to read and know what are the diseases that the policy covers, because these vary from one policy to another.

“Before commencing the journey, travellers must ensure that their polices cover them for coronavirus in the country they are travelling to. For example, some insurers may not provide this coverage in countries for which a coronavirus-related health advisory has been issued,” he added.

A typical standalone travel insurance policy with health coverage covers emergency medical expenses, dental treatment, medical evacuation, provide daily cash during hospitalisation abroad and finance the repatriation of mortal remains in case of death. Travel insurance coverage also comes bundled with credit cards with travel benefits. However, this coverage may exclude health insurance.

“It’s advisable for travellers to own comprehensive health coverage, especially if they are travelling to countries such as the United States where healthcare costs can be astronomical, ” added Shetty.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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India reports 29 coronavirus cases, all international passengers to be screened

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 29, including 16 Italians touring through Rajasthan, the government said on Wednesday, adding all international passengers will now be screened at airports, amid growing concern over the spread of the respiratory infection.

A total of six coronavirus cases including one Italian was reported in the country as on Tuesday.

With Holi, less than a week away on March 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said they would not celebrate the festival of colours or hold any Holi Milan gathering. President Ram Nath Kovind’s office also said Rashtrapati Bhavan will not hold any Holi gathering.

Giving a break-up for 28 cases in the country at a news conference, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said one patient is from Delhi, six more, his relatives, are from Agra, one is from Telangana and there are 16 Italians as well as their Indian driver in Rajasthan.

The figure includes the first three cases in the country from Kerala last month. The three patients have since recovered.

As the Centre, the Delhi government and several state governments held a flurry of meetings, e-commerce payment system Paytm said an employee in Gurgaon has tested positive for the coronavirus. A Health Ministry official also confirmed this coronavirus case.

In a statement in the night, the company said the infected employee had recently returned from a vacation in Italy, one of the worst-hit countries from coronavirus and advised its employees to work from home for the next couple of days.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Don’t panic, work together: PM Modi on Coronavirus

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people not to panic and “work together” on a day six new suspected coronavirus cases were reported from Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

“There is no need to panic. We need to work together, take small yet important measures to ensure self-protection,” Modi tweeted.

He also tweeted a poster highlighting basic hygiene like washing hands frequently and avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth to prevent the spread of the virus.

A control room number is also provided in the tweet.

He also had an “extensive review” regarding the preparedness on the COVID-19. “Different ministries and states are working together, from screening people arriving in India to providing prompt medical attention,” tweeted Modi.

There is no need to panic. We need to work together, take small yet important measures to ensure self-protection. pic.twitter.com/sRRPQlMdtr

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2020

Earlier in the day, health concern was discussed between Modi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during a meeting in Parliament.

On Tuesday, six fresh cases of suspected Coronavirus with high viral load was detected in Agra besides one in Lucknow. Apart from Uttar Pradesh, there is at least one case in Delhi, one in Telangana and one in Jaipur, where a traveller from Italy showed signs.

The Agra cases were detected during sample testing. Contact tracing of the persons who have come in contact with these six persons is also simultaneously being done through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) network, informed the government.

The Ministry in a statement said: “One positive case of COVID-19 has been detected in New Delhi, and one has been detected in Telangana.”

-with inputs from agencies

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow