NEW DELHI: The global escalation of the coronavirus epidemic from China is severely impacting the world economy, hitting businesses, rattling investors and triggering a universal shortage of clash flow in several countries across the globe. Many leading world organisations have warned that the deadly coronavirus outbreak could cut global economic growth in half and plunge several countries into recession this year.
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Sounding the alarm as the disease spreads around the world, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has warned that the global GDP growth could plummet this year to as little as 1.5%, almost half the 2.9% rate it forecast before the outbreak took hold. The downturn could be the gravest threat to the global economy since the financial crisis more than a decade ago, it warned.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has too warned that coronavirus will wipe out hopes for faster growth in 2020. The faster spread of the coronavirus will wipe out any hope of stronger growth in 2020, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday, adding that a third of the Fund`s 189 member countries were now affected. Georgieva told a news conference after speaking to the IMF`s steering committee that the Fund now expects 2020 global growth will be below the 2.9% rate for 2019 and revised forecasts will be issued in coming weeks.
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The changed view would represent more than a 0.4 percentage-point drop from the 3.3% 2020 growth rate that the IMF had forecast in January based on an easing of U.S.-China trade tensions. The IMF and World Bank President David Malpass underscored the importance of coordinated action to limit the economic and human impact of the virus. The IMF is making available $50 billion in emergency funding for members that includes very low-interest loans that could aid poorer countries in responding to the epidemic, she said.
Moody's cuts 2020 growth projection for India
Amid growing concerns over the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Moodys Investors Service has slashed its 2020 growth projection for India from 6.6% earlier to 5.4%. The agency expects a shallower recovery in Asias third-largest economy, considering that global growth will likely take a hit following the virus outbreak in China. On the other hand, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering using unconventional policy tools to spur lending amid fears that the coronavirus outbreak will derail any revival of economic growth. RBI is planning to infuse fresh cash liquidity into the system through a second round of long-term repo operations (LTRO), sources said.
Globally, central banks are taking steps to provide liquidity to stabilize financial markets, which have sunk as the coronavirus spread over more than 80 countries. The Federal Reserve slashed US interest rates by half a percentage point on Tuesday in an emergency move. Central banks in Australia and Malaysia also cut rates and, on Monday, the Bank of Japan took steps to provide liquidity to stabilize financial markets there. In India, market regulator SEBI is "internally assessing" the potential impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the capital markets, its Whole-Time Member SK Mohanty said on Wednesday.
In pics: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world
An outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has claimed more than 3,100 lives and infected over 90,000 people around the world. With 2,943 deaths, China is the worst affected, with fatalities reported in other countries and regions such as the U.S., Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Taiwan, Iran, Italy and South Korea, which also has the highest cases of confirmed infections outside China. The other nations with confirmed cases include Andorra, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Armenia, Mexico, Nigeria, New Zealand, Algeria, Switzerland, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Malaysia, Brazil, Greece, Norway, Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the U.K. and Vietnam.
(Pictured) People wearing face masks cross a road in Shanghai, China, on March 2.
Women wearing face masks walk on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 2.
A paramedic wearing a protective suit sanitizes the hands of people in Ashkelon, Israel, on March 2.
Personnel from the health ministry check tourists' temperatures and for any symptoms at the Rumichaca border bridge in Tulcán, Ecuador, on March 1.
Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives at Downing Street in London, England, on March 2, ahead of an emergency COBRA meeting on UK's COVID-19 situation.
A South Korean soldier wearing protective gear sanitizes a street in front of the city hall in Daegu, South Korea, on March 2.
A group of carnival revelers walk through the old town of Basel, Switzerland, on March 2.
Students of Hanoi National University of Education attend the first day of classes after returning to the university, which was closed for over a month due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak as (L-R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams look on, at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Feb. 29.
Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County, speaks about the first death from COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the U.S. during a news conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Feb. 29.
Pedestrians wearing face masks cross a square in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 29.
A police officer wears a protective face mask on the street in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 29.
A Paris Saint-Germain F.C. fan wears a face mask inside the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, on Feb. 29, during a match against Dijon FCO.
A member of the Iraqi security forces wears a protective face mask in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 29.
Officials in face masks stand at the starting point of the Tokyo Marathon in Japan on March 1.
A man and his wife shop at a supermarket in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 29.
Workers sew protective suits, meant to be used during the COVID-19 outbreak, at the Zhejiang Ugly Duck Industry garment factory in Wenzhou, China, on Feb. 28.
A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the COVID-19 at the Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, New Jersey, U.S., on Feb 28. The facility develops novel therapies for some of the worlds most difficult diseases.
The U.S. states of Oregon and California reported their first and second cases of coronavirus on Feb. 29, respectively.
A health worker takes part in a drill to handle suspected carriers of coronavirus, at a hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on Feb. 26.
A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 26.
Health workers prepare for the arrival of evacuated Malaysians from Wuhan at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Feb. 26.
A Filipino Catholic wearing a protective mask receives ash on top of her head as the church observes a "contactless" Ash Wednesday amid coronavirus scare, at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 26.
Personnel wearing protective gear spray anti-septic solution at a traditional market in Seoul on Feb. 26.
Spanish police officers patrol outside the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain, on Feb. 25.
Bruce Aylward, international team lead for the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19 attends a news conference after his trip to China at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 25.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks during a special government meeting to discuss measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, at the Daegu City Hall in Daegu, South Korea, on Feb. 25.
A demonstrator wears protective face mask during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 25.
Fans wear masks at Stadio San Paolo in Naples, Italy, on Feb. 25, prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona.
A man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 outside a closed karaoke lounge in Beijing, China, on Feb. 25.
The secretary of Public Health of the Government of Catalonia, Joan Guix (L), and the manager of integral health processes of the Catalan Health Service, Assumpta Ricardo (R), are seen giving a press conference about the first coronavirus case detected in Catalonia, in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 25.
Fans wearing masks pose for photos before the start of a concert by Japanese girl group Perfume outside Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 25.
A newly wed couple wear protective masks as they take photos with family in Hong Kong on Feb. 24.
A woman wearing face mask passes by posters about precautions against coronavirus at a bus station in Seoul on Feb. 25.
Two men ride a bike as they wear protective masks in Najaf, Iraq, on Feb. 24.
Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a news conference on the WHO-China Joint Mission on coronavirus in Beijing, on Feb. 24.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres speaks during an update on the situation at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, on Feb. 24.
People wear masks as they take selfie at a shopping district in Seoul on Feb. 24.
Security personnel wear face masks as they stand outside Duomo di Milano in Italy on Feb. 24.
A street vendor sells face masks outside a railway station in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 24.
Commuters wear masks on the metro in Beijing, on Feb. 24.
Figures depicting coronavirus and "carnevals-virus" are seen at the Shrove Monday celebrations in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 24.
People wearing protective masks are seen at the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, on Feb. 24.
A reveler wears protective face mask at the Venice Carnival, the last days of which were called off after third death was reported in the country, in Italy on Feb. 23.
A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in Casalpusterlengo, on Feb. 22.
Passengers wearing protective masks walk at the arrival hall of Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on Feb. 22. Israel refused to allow about 200 non-Israelis to disembark from a plane, which arrived from South Korea, as part of measures against the new virus, the health ministry said.
Lebanon's Minister of Health Hamad Hasan and Iman Shantiki, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon, attend a news conference after the country's first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 21.
Disinfection workers wearing protective gears spray anti-septic solution at the subway station in Seoul, on Feb. 21.
Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, on Feb. 19.
A tourist, wearing a protective face mask amid COVID-19 fears, takes photographs at Marina Bay in Singapore on Feb. 18. The country has more than 80 infected cases so far and has unveiled $4.6 billion in financial packages to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has battered the city-state’s economy and sparked fears of a recession.
Waiters wearing protective face masks wait for customers outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb. 17.
Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.
Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.
People stand near the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 18. The liner was docked five days ago after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.
People wear face masks and plastic raincoats as protection at the Shanghai railway station in China, on Feb. 17.
Doctor Hangzhou Lu, co-director of Shanghai Public Clinical Center Shanghai, shows a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at the finished but still unused building A2, in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.
French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Véran addresses the media at Bichat hospital in Paris, on Feb. 17, on the COVID-19 outbreak.
A volunteer cuts a man's hair in Chongqing, China, on Feb. 16. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, most barbershops have been closed. A community in the Beibei district of Chongqing organized a team of volunteer barbers to provide free haircuts for its residents.
Staff of a catering company prepare meals for frontline medical workers in Shijiazhuang, China, on Feb. 16.
Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.
Jewish worshipers take part in a prayer for those affected by the coronavirus, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 16. The placard in Hebrew and Chinese reads "The Jewish people pray for China."
A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.
A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.
The big screen displays a message of support in relation to the ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Premier League football match between Southampton and Burnley FC in Southampton, England, on Feb. 15.
Two buses leave the port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, on Feb. 15.
A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.
An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.
Visitors wear protective masks as they walk through a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 12.
Members of Japan Self-Defense Force attach a military vehicle to a gate of the Diamond Princess on Feb. 12.
A laboratory technician helps a colleague remove the protective suit after leaving a laboratory in Shenyang, China, on Feb. 12.
A woman fixes her mask as she waits for tourists at her shop at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya, Thailand, on Feb. 12.
Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.
A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.
A worker wearing a protective suit carries a fogging machine as others prepare to disinfect a business establishment in Shanghai on Feb. 9.
A passenger wearing a mask walks outside the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 8.
Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Family members of passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal, wave on shore in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. The cruise ship with approximately 1,800 passengers remained quarantined in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Feb. 8. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home.
A Hindu devotee wears a mask as she carries a milk pot on her head at a shrine in Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 8.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.
People look on from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 7. About 64 passengers from the ship have tested positive for the virus. Another ship, the World Dream, has been docked and quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. It has 3,600 passengers and crew on board.
Flight attendants wearing protective clothing and masks serve snacks to Canadians, who had been evacuated from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus on an American charter plane, on another aircraft taking them to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Canada, on Feb. 7.
Workers in protective gear are seen on Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama, on Feb. 5, bringing patients from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4.
This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4.
People wear face masks as they go about their daily lives in Singapore on Feb. 4.
Medical workers hold a strike outside the office of Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, as they demand the closure of borders with China, on Feb. 4.
Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.
German Minister for Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (R) and German Minister for Health Jens Spahn give a joint statement in Bonn, Germany, on Feb. 1, on the evacuation of more than 100 German citizens from Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, and Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the opening of the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV in Geneva on Jan. 30.
Medical staff with protective clothing are seen inside a ward specialized in treating people who may have been infected with the virus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai, India, on Jan. 29.
Images captured by a thermographic imaging device to check the temperatures of arriving passengers at a quarantine station are seen on a monitor at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Jan. 26.
A banner placed by Indian health workers is seen during a coronavirus information camp for travelers at an India-Nepal border crossing, near Siliguri, India, on Jan. 26.
(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.
Sanitation workers spray a disinfectant at Suseo Station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
A passenger holds up an Australian Government document pertaining to the coronavirus as passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport in Australia on Jan. 23.
Passengers arriving from China are screened at Kolkata International Airport, India, on Jan. 22. Screening centers have been set up in the Indian cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to screen for the coronavirus.
Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.
Oil prices slump
Energy-rich Gulf states have scrapped or postponed dozens of events as part of measures to contain the new coronavirus, denting economies already hurt by slumping oil prices. From OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia to the region's most diversified economy the United Arab Emirates, sports tournaments, economic conferences and major religious events have been sacrificed in attempts to curb the spread of the disease.
More than 150 coronavirus cases have been detected in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, mostly among people returning from pilgrimages to Iran. The Gulf region is already struggling to cope with decreasing oil revenues as the public health crisis paralyses economic giant China -- the world's biggest oil importer and buyer of Gulf oil. Now Riyadh has suspended the "umrah", the minor Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that draws millions, while other Gulf nations have restricted entry to foreigners.
Citing "precautionary preventive measures" against the disease that has killed some 3,200 people globally, organisers of the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah announced it had been postponed indefinitely. The bustling emirate of Dubai, known for hosting hundreds of conferences annually, has scrapped the Art Dubai exhibition, an international boat show and other events.
Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members were seeking to win support from Russia on Wednesday to join them in additional oil output cuts in a bid to prop up prices which have tumbled by a fifth this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. A panel of several representatives from OPEC states, Russia and other producers recommended on Tuesday cutting output by 600,000 to 1 million bpd only in the second quarter and said existing cuts of 2.1 million bpd by the group known as OPEC+ should be extended to the end of 2020.
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Medical supplies, stocks hit
To restock pharmacies which are facing shortages of face masks along with hand sanitisers due to the coronavirus-triggered binge buying, industry insiders contended on the need to divert supplies along with imposing a total ban on exports of these items. Accordingly, pharmacies cite the phenomenon of binge fear buying has caused the shortage, as people rush to medical stores to get their hands on sanitisers, N95 or simple surgical face masks to protect themselves. The panic buying was triggered lately due to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in India.
Not just face masks, even hand sanitisers are not available at many pharmacies across major cities like Delhi-NCR, claim industry observers. "We have received information about the shortage of hand sanitisers and face masks in Delhi-NCR region," All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists` President Jagannath Shinde said.
"We have asked `Super Stockists` to re-route supplies from the less affected areas to metropolitan cities, so that these items are readily made available in these places. However, restoring availability might take some time."
Coronavirus cases in India
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 JP Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said they would not celebrate Holi or hold 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, Union 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.
At his news conference, Vardhan said all international passengers will henceforth be screened at airports. Earlier, travellers from only 12 countries were screened at airports for the contagious disease that has claimed over 3,000 lives and infected more than 90,000 worldwide. Vardhan said the 45-year-old man from Mayur Vihar and six of his relatives from Agra whom he recently visited are being treated at the Safdarjung hospital in the national capital.
Seventeen Indians abroad have been infected, 16 from a cruise ship in Japan "being treated at onshore medical facilities" and one from the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of External Affairs said. "Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID19 Novel Coronavirus. Hence this year, I have decided not to participate in any 'Holi milan' programme," the Prime Minister tweeted.
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. The Health Minister said the government has adopted a cluster approach, as part of which health authorities will check and sensitise every household within a three kilometre radius of the house of the infected person.
The government also intends to set up a laboratory in Iran so Indians there can be tested for possible exposure to the virus before being brought back, he said. An estimated 1,200 Indians, mostly students and pilgrims, are in Iran. An inter-ministerial meeting chaired by PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the PM, also decided that all government departments will consult the health ministry before organising conferences and international meets in the country in the coming days.
As Indians all over come to grips with the global epidemic, the health crisis was discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said over six lakh people had been screened for coronavirus symptoms in 21 airports. Briefing reporters, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said more than 10 lakh people entering India from the open borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar have also been screened. While only the national virology institute based in Pune is fit for conducting coronavirus tests, the government has now set up 15 more labs and is in the process of establishing 19 additional centres, he said.
Several state governments, including in Rajasthan and Delhi, screened visitors and others for the disease in hotels and guesthouses. With 16 Italian tourists, who came to Rajasthan by road from Delhi, testing positive, the desert state swung into action to contain the infection.
State Health Minister Raghu Sharma said in the assembly that at least 215 people had come into contact with the group. These included 53 people in Jhunjhunu, 14 each in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, 44 in Bikaner, six in Udaipur and 76 people in Jaipur. Swab samples of 93 people were taken with 51 suspected patients tested negative whereas reports of 41 others are still pending, he said.
In Delhi, CM Kejriwal said efforts are on to check and screen 88 people who came in contact with the Delhi man who tested positive for coronavirus. Kejriwal said a task-force headed by him has been formed to tackle the situation emerging from the coronavirus infection. A coronavirus testing lab will be set up at the Lady Hardinge Hospital and also at the LNJP Hospital if necessary, Kejriwal said. As the coronavirus came perilously close to home and dos and don'ts about the disease were circulated, some advocated that the Indian way of greeting, the Namaste, was the way to go.
Many people went into panic mode and started stocking up on hand sanitisers and masks.Many shops, including in the national capital, said stocks of both had run out. However, Kejriwal said there is no shortage of masks. In Rajasthan, too, purchase orders have been given for 50,000 personal protective equipment kits and five lakh each of N95 and triple layer masks to deal with the problem, Rajasthan minister Sharma said.
Many schools in the National Capital Region(NCR) said they were fumigating and sanitising their premises. Three schools in Delhi and its adjoining suburbs announced holidays for students and staff as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of the disease while two schools advanced their spring break and others sent out advisories to parents.
(With Agency inputs)