Coronavirus outbreak LIVE | 29 positive cases in India as Paytm employee in Gurgaon confirmed with virus

© Provided by The Statesman Coronavirus outbreak LIVE | 29 positive cases in India as Paytm employee in Gurgaon confirmed with virus

India has so far reported 29 positive cases of novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 with the latest being a Paytm employee in Gurgaon.

Of the total, 16 are Italian tourists of which 14 persons have been quarantined in Delhi and an elderly couple in Jaipur. An Indian driver, who was travelling with the group of 23 Italians has also been confirmed with the deadly virus.

The other cases are 6 people from Agra, one each from Delhi and Hyderabad and 3 in Kerala (who have recovered).

Meanwhile, India will now screen all international travellers entering the country through airports and ports. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the Government has decided that all flights and passengers will be part of universal screening and not just the 12 countries that were listed earlier.

Amid concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders have decided not to celebrate Holi nor organise Holi Milan.

The government has also urged Indians to avoid the festival and mass gatherings.

President Kovind, too, has cancelled Holi events at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued an advisory to all schools asking them to avoid any large gathering of students in premises.

Meanwhile, India intends to set up a laboratory in Iran — where the death toll has crossed 100 — so that Indians there can be tested. An estimated 1,200 Indians, mostly students and pilgrims, are in Iran.

Globally, more than 92,000 people have tested positive for Coronavirus and over 3,200 have died.

As of Thursday morning, the number of confirmed cases outside China were reported in South Korea (5,766), Italy (3,089), Iran (2,922), Japan (1,023, including 706 on Diamond Princess), France (285), Germany (262), the US (154), Spain (151), Singapore (112), Hong Kong (104), the UK (85), Kuwait (56), Norway (56), Australia (52), Malaysia (50), Bahrain (49), Thailand (47), Taiwan (42), Switzerland (37), Canada (33), Sweden (32), Austria (29), India (29), the UAE (27), Iraq (26), Netherlands (24), Belgium (23), Iceland (16), Vietnam (16), Lebanon (13), Oman (12), Algeria (12), San Marino (10), Israel (10), Macau (10), Croatia (nine), Greece (eight), Qatar (eight), Finland (seven), Ecuador (seven), Ireland (six), Mexico (five), Pakistan (five), Czech Republic (five), Russia (four), Senegal (four), Romania (four), Portugal (four), Belarus (four), Philippines (three), Azerbaijan (three), New Zealand (three), Georgia (three), Brazil (two), Indonesia (two), Slovenia (two), Hungary (two), Estonia (two), Egypt (two), and one each in Poland, Latvia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Luxembourg, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Andorra, Jordan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Armenia, Argentina and Chile, according to figures issued by the South China Morning Post.

The deaths outside China were recorded in Italy (107), Iran (92), South Korea (35), Japan (12), the US (11), France (four), Hong Kong (two), Australia (two), Spain (one), San Marino (one), Taiwan (one), Thailand (one) and the Philippines (one).