There are five doctors from the Health Ministry and one paramedical staff on board, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated.
"The plane did a pushback towards the runway at around 12.50 pm. It took off at around 1.20 pm on Friday. The departure got delayed a little from 12.30 pm scheduled time because of some pending clearances," said a senior airline official.
The plane has one paramedical staff onboard, he said, adding that the plane is likely to return between 1 am to 2 am on Saturday.
Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday morning, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)."
"Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he added.
"Total of five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going...The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours," said Lohani.
The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India.
The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths.
(PTI)
In a tweet posted by the Indian embassy in Beijing, the government said, "Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect. This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China."
The government warned, "Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, and the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities."
The decision came hours after the government evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan, the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV epidemic. Over 300 people have died and 14,000 people have been infected in Wuhan by the virus so far.
The US, Australia and many other countries have evacuated their own respective citizens and already banned the arrival of foreigners from China. WHO has called the outbreak a global health emergency.
(IANS)
By the end of Tuesday, 2,981 people died of the COVID-19 and a total of 80,270 confirmed cases of the virus were reported in China, National Health Commission (NHC) reported on Tuesday.
The death toll due to the deadly disease across the world mounted to 3,123 and confirmed cases surpassed 91,783, official media here reported.
NHC received reports of 119 new confirmed cases in China on Tuesday from 31 provincial-level regions and Xinjiang, including 115 from Hubei province and its capital Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus.
Outside Hubei, only four cases were reported on Tuesday, down from 890 on February 3, the NHC said, highlighting that the virus cases have been declining in the rest of the country.
Among the deaths, 37 were in Hubei and one in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the NHC said.
Meanwhile, 143 new suspected cases were reported on Tuesday, it said, adding that all over the country 520 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.
Also on Tuesday, the number of severe cases decreased by 390 to 6,416, while 2,652 people were discharged from hospital after recovery.
The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,270 by the end of Tuesday, of which 2,981 died, 27,433 patients are still being treated and 49,856 patients discharged after recovery, it said.
By the end of Tuesday, 100 confirmed cases including two deaths have been reported in Hong Kong, 10 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR and 42 in Taiwan, including one death.
Thirty-seven patients in Hong Kong, nine in Macao and 12 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery, it said.
As the coronavirus outbreak has become a global menace causing massive disruptions in China and abroad, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for international cooperation in scientific research to develop a cure and vaccine to contain COVID-19.
Public health security is a common challenge faced by humanity, and all countries should join hands to cope with it, Xi said during an inspection to research institutes here on Monday, calling on countries to share research data and jointly work out response strategies, official media reported.
Noting that the COVID-19 outbreaks have emerged in many countries, Xi said it is important to step up communication and exchange with the World Health Organisation and carry out scientific research cooperation on source tracing, drugs, vaccines, testing and other fields with other countries, especially those hit hard by the virus.
Across the globe, countries witnessed a surge in new infection.
South Korea reported 5,328 infections with 142 new cases on Wednesday. Thirty-two people have died of the disease in the country.
In India, six people are confirmed to be infected by coronavirus, including an Italian couple in Rajasthan.
The coronavirus deaths jumped to 79 in Italy on Tuesday with over 2,502 confirmed cases reported in the country.
At least 77 people have died due to the coronavirus outbreak in Iran with 2,336 confirmed cases.
Japan has confirmed over 1,000 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths.
The deadly virus has claimed seven people in the United States as the infections rose to over 100 in the country.
Positive cases rose to 39 in the UK.
France on Tuesday announced that 21 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified, taking the total number of infections to 212, of which 12 were cured and four have died.
(PTI)
The instructions to put such people who have travelled abroad had come from the Ministry of Health, Uttar Pradesh in mid-January itself, the officials said.
Also Read: Coronavirus: 2 More Test Positive In Telangana, Samples Sent To Pune
Noida, adjoining Delhi, was caught in panic after samples of six people, including three children, were sent for coronavirus test on Tuesday, four days after they came in contact with a Delhi-based man who has tested positive for COVID 19. All six samples have tested negative, district administration and health officials said on Wednesday.
"Till Tuesday evening, 373 people who have travelled abroad after January 15 have been put on surveillance. Of them, 55 people have been tested for the virus. 49 of them, including the six from yesterday, have tested negative. Results of remaining six are awaited," Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava told PTI.
"Seventy-four people at present are under surveillance, while five were cross referred, meaning they were not from Gautam Buddh Nagar," the CMO added.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department on Tuesday said specialised tests for COVID 19 were available for free of cost at two hospitals, one in Greater Noida and another in Noida.
The Noida administration on Tuesday launched two helplines -- 8076623612 and 6396776904 -- for people with any queries on coronavirus.
Bhargava said there were adequate medical facilities available with isolation wards at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida and the Super-speciality Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Training Institute in Noida.
The GIMS has a dedicated 10-bed facility while the super-speciality hospital has nine beds, he added.
(PTI)
"The patient with symptoms of respiratory discomfort was advised hospitalisation. He initially refused to get himself admitted to the isolation ward owing to scare and disappeared. Now, a medical team has been deputed to bring him back to the hospital from his residence," a health official said.
The patient had returned from Dubai on Tuesday.
Two suspected cases of coronavirus have been reported at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here. Both are residents of Chandigarh.
One has a history of travel to Indonesia and Singapore last week with his family, while another has a travel history to Bali.
Doctors said that in both suspected cases, the patients are stable and under constant monitoring.
(IANS)
With a strong chain of command, starting from the health department to field workers, the state has shown the way to the rest of the country on dealing with such an outbreak, health officials here said.
Also Read: Suspected Coronavirus Patient Runs Away From Hospital In Punjab
"We have almost contained the situation in Kerala, but that does not mean that we are safe. Yes, we treated and cured three patients, but that does not mean that we will lower our guard," health minister K K Shailaja told PTI.
Kerala, she said, has also decided to intensify surveillance, especially at airports, railway stations and bus depots.
The three positive cases --all medical students from Wuhan, epicentre of the virus, were reported from Alapuzha, Thrissur and Kasaragod districts. They have been discharged from hospitals and none of them are under home quarantine.
Two of them had travelled by the same flight from Wuhan.
The Minister said the health department is fully equipped to deal with the coronavirus scare, guided by the protocol set out by Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology.
Explaining how the state dealt with the situation, she said health department officials traced those who returned to Kerala from infected areas and isolated them even if they had minor symptoms. The rest were home quarantined.
"Trained health workers were deployed to assist them. We monitored everyone and held daily review meetings," she said.
Kerala is also the only state which strictly mandates 28 days of home quarantine for those returning from COVID-19 countries, while it is 14 days at the national level.
Dr Amar Fettle, the state Nodal Officer of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, said the cooperation of patients, their families and people of Kerala, who acted as per the health department's directions, deserved laurels.
"We have a strong chain of command, starting from the health minister, the health secretary, directors of health services, medical education, Mission directors and all.
We have very specific instructions on case definitions on what action has to be taken and everything was categorised very well. Matrices were prepared which figured every single situation which would arise," Fettle said.
A senior medical official said the severity of the disease would depend on how three factors (the agent factor, the macro or microenvironment of the local area and the immunity of the host), interact in a dynamic fashion.
Interplay of such factors led to a mild manifestation of the infection in the three students, who had only respiratory symptoms.
"We gave them the standard treatment for any respiratory symptoms, including coverage for any other diseases like H1N1 others," the official said.
The health department took supportive measure like antibiotics, when necessary and vitamins, looked after the diet and even took care of stress levels of the students, he said.
Totally, 4,378 people had been under surveillance at isolation wards in hospitals and home quarantine till Monday.
Till Tuesday, 411 people were under surveillance in Kerala, the break up being 388 in-home quarantine and 23 in isolation wards in hospitals.
Anxiety, stigma and frustration were among many fears voiced by those who returned from China and affected nations.
People are even scared to move anywhere near wards housing those under isolation.
While some students, whose parents are in China, had complained to health officials that they were being made fun of in schools, others said their parents were allegedly prevented by nearby shop owners here to open their commercial establishments, fearing spread of the virus.
To address these issues, the Kerala government came up with motivational messages, SMSs and psychological support.
The medical department is providing counselling services to the affected. All people under home isolation and hospital isolation have been sent motivational messages as SMS.
To provide psychosocial support to families of those suspected to be infected, 215 people have been deployed across Kerala and 3,646 tele counselling services provided till date.
Dr P S Kiran, state nodal officer, Mental Health programme, told PTI "we categorised their experiences, stress, depression and stigma. Most of those quarantined are anxiety-prone".
A student said the stigma prevailed even after the 28 day quarantine period, with friends not being allowed to mingle, Dr Kiran said.
Fettle said Kerala was like a "Gaulish village" in the Asterix and Obelix comics, where the Gauls always fought among themselves due to differences of opinion but always united and fought whenever there was a common enemy.
Though the situation is under control in Kerala, health staff are still under high alert.
Airports, including domestic terminals, are still under surveillance and field surveillance is on to trace anyone who reached the state through any other mode of transport, he said.
(PTI)
"It has come to the notice of the board that many anti-social elements are uploading fake messages like providing CBSE question papers and asking candidates to make payment thus misleading students and parents. We are vigilant and active in identifying and taking action against those spreading fake news," a senior CBSE official said.
Also Read: CBSE Postpones Class 10, 12 Exams Scheduled On Feb 28, 29 In Northeast Delhi
"The board has written to Delhi Police Special Cell (MAC) to take stern action against persons involved in circulating fake news about CBSE exam paper leaks on social media platforms and for creating panic amongst students and general public. The police has been asked to lodge FIR under various provisions of IPC and IT Act and initiate action against the perpetrators," the official added.
Classes 10 and 12 exams began on February 15.
"CBSE is also trying to ascertain the genuineness of information being received by tracing and contacting individuals making such complaints and has taken follow-up action for security of ongoing exams.
"We want cooperation of public not to believe or involve in the fake, unverified news and help in maintaining the sanctity of examinations at all cost," the official said.
(PTI)
"Face masks and sanitisers may be carried by students in the examination centre," CBSE Secretary Anurag Tripathi said.
Also Read: CBSE Approaches Delhi Police Over Paper Leak Rumours, Appeals To Parents Not To Panic
Class 10 and 12 board examinations began on February 15.
Meanwhile, the HRD Ministry directed Chief Secretaries of all states and the CBSE to spread awareness among students on basic protective measures against coronavirus.
HRD Secretary Amit Khare said in a letter that "informed students can be agents of change for their family, community and beyond".
"Central government has taken many steps to contain the spread of this virus but creating awareness amongst general public is extremely important to prevent and reduce transmission of the novel coronavirus.
"In order to create awareness among students, preventive interventions such as frequent hand wash, respiratory etiquettes (using handkerchief over mouth while coughing or sneezing, use of tissue paper or using sleeve of shirt covering upper arm, staying away from school when sick, avoiding public gatherings) would help in preventing or reducing transformation of not only this disease but also a large number of other communicable diseases," Khare said.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also came out with a school advisory in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
All schools have been advised by the government to avoid any large gathering of students in the school premises. As per the advisory, any student or staff with travel history to any COVID-19 affected country or in contact with such persons in the last 28 days should be monitored and home quarantined for 14 days.
Class teachers have been asked to be alert of any possible symptoms among the students like coughing, fever or difficulty in breathing and inform the parents to get them tested, said the advisory. Any affected student should not join school unless okayed by a doctor.
The Health Ministry's advisory also talked about basic hygiene like washing hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water. It also suggested using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
"Everyone should cover their mouth with a tissue/handkerchief when they cough or sneeze and wash their hands afterwards. Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth. Everyone should throw away used tissues in a bin and wash their hands after contact with coughing/sneezing," said the government advisory.
It has also asked schools to place alcohol-based sanitizers at different spots. The advisory also asked the authorities to monitor the students staying in hostels. It asked people to contact the dedicated call centres should the need arise.
The first case of coronavirus in Delhi was detected on Monday. Six suspected cases have been detected in Agra, who came in contact with the person from Delhi who tested positive. As of today, 29 cases of coronavirus have been reported from India, including a group Italian nationals who are now been quarantined. Three persons from Kerala have been discharged after treatment.
So far, 3,110 people have died across the globe due to the highly contagious virus.
(PTI)
"I am totally not considering this," Mori told reporters at a briefing when asked about a possible cancellation.
Also Read: IOC Confident Of ‘Successful’ Hosting Of Tokyo Olympics
Asked when the organisers could decide on changes to the Olympics, he said: "I'm not God so I don't know."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board on Tuesday expressed its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games in Tokyo to be held between July 24 to August 9 this year.
The IOC board heard a report on all the measures taken so far to address the coronavirus situation, which was followed by a comprehensive discussion, a statement on IOC's official website read.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams while addressing a press conference in Lausanne, Switzerland said that it sees "no reason" to think anything other than the Games will be going ahead as planned.
"We're not even worrying, thinking about that (relocation), because we're planning to have the games on the 24th of July," said Mark Adams
It appreciates and supports the measures being taken, which constitute an important part of Tokyo's plans to host safe and secure Games, the statement read.
Japan's Olympic Minister had on Tuesday said that the agreement that the host city has with the IOC could be interpreted as having a provision for holding the Games in a later month within 2020.
(IANS)
At a press conference following a review meeting to contain the Coronavirus here, Netanyahu said that several measures will be announced to prevent the spread of Coronavirus but some simple measures like avoiding the normal handshake while greeting people may possibly be replaced with other forms of greetings like the Indian 'Namaste'.
Also Read: COVID-19 Slower Than Flu But More Dangerous: WHO
He also demonstrated at the press conference as to how the Indians do 'Namaste' while greeting people.
Netanyahu said that "we are in the middle of a global epidemic", but Israel has done well as it was quick in taking action to prevent the spread of the virus in the country.
"We have had to take rigorous steps to slow the spread of the disease in Israel, we have taken select isolation and flight policies and measures for flights," he added.
In an official statement, the company informed that it has suggested team members of the COVID-19 patient to get their health tests done immediately, while all their offices will remain shut for sanitising purposes.
Also Read: Coronavirus: CBSE To Allow Students To Carry Masks, Hand Sanitiser During Board Exams
"One of our colleagues based out of Gurugram office, who recently returned from Italy post a vacation, has now been tested positive for Coronavirus. He is receiving appropriate treatment and we are extending complete support to his family," a Paytm spokesperson told IANS.
"As a precautionary measure, we have suggested his team members to get health tests done immediately," the spokesperson added.
The company said it has advised all employees to work from home for a couple of days while the offices are sanitised.
"However, there will not be any impact on our daily operations and Paytm services will continue as usual," the spokesperson added.
With 25 fresh confirmed cases of coronavirus in India, the tech industry in India is withdrawing into a shell, with Paytm, Nearbuy, Wipro, TCS and HCL announcing an action plan to safeguard their employees.
Nearbuy, which claims to be India's first hyper-local online platform that enables customers and local merchants to discover and engage with each other, has decided to close its Gurugram office for at least 14 days as a precautionary measure.
The company has told its employees to work from home during the period and also keep a proper check on their health.
Global software giant Wipro on Wednesday announced that it has suspended employee travel to coronavirus-stricken China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The company also said that any employee who has travelled to an affected place in China in the last few days has been advised to work from home for 14 days before resuming work in office.
"We have advised our employees to be vigilant, especially those based in China and those who have visited the country recently," said Wipro.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) also claimed that it was working closely with all relevant global and regional and local health institutions to tackle COVID-19 outbreak.
While HCL Technologies said it has invoked an epidemic contingency plan in the impacted geographies and is providing full support to employees, wherever possible.
(IANS)
Wuhan party chief Chen Yixin said on Wednesday that the city's battle against the fatal disease had entered a "critical" stage and ordered an inspection of people from other parts of the country still stranded in the city, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.
"The situation facing epidemic control in Wuhan is still complicated. We will not be able to contain the spread if we do not impose unified strict measures," Chen said.
On Thursday, mainland China reported 139 new cases, up from 119 a day earlier, as well as 31 new deaths.
In a statement, the National Health Commission said 134 of the new infections were in Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, with 131 in the city.
All of the latest deaths also occurred in the province, it added.
The Commission added that two imported cases were reported in Zhejiang province. By the end of Wednesday, 20 imported cases had been reported.
Globally, more than 92,000 people have tested positive and 3,100 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).
(IANS)
The first ODI of the three-match series was played behind closed doors in an empty Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday which the hosts had won by 71 runs. The teams were to play the second and third ODI on March 15 and 20, respectively.
"...the New Zealand government tightened its border restrictions and included Australia on the list of countries from which those entering New Zealand would be subjected to a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period," said New Zealand Cricket in a statement.
"A consequence of this is that we need to get our team back to New Zealand before the restriction is imposed, meaning it will not be able to participate in the two remaining Chappell-Hadlee fixtures."
Also Read: IPL Suspended Till April 15 Over Coronavirus Outbreak, BCCI Likely To Change Format
The pandemic has also led to the postponement of Australia's tour of New Zealand that was to follow, where the two teams were to play three T20Is on March 24, 27 and 29.
"This development also means the three-match T20I series scheduled for New Zealand cannot proceed as the mandatory self-isolation period would also apply to the Australian squad as soon as it crossed the border into New Zealand," said NZC.
Cricket Australia on its part said: "Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket will work together to identify a future opportunity to play both series."
Read More: Coronavirus Hits Cricket Events: IPL Postponed, SA Vs IND ODIs Cancelled
Cricket events across the world are being affected due to the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus. The ODI series between India and South Africa, England's two-Test series in Sri Lanka and Australia women's tour of South Africa (comprising of three ODIs and three T20Is) have been postponed.
Also Read: Odisha Youth Stranded In Coronavirus-Hit Iran, Family Seeks Jay Panda’s Intervention
Also, the premier T20 tournament outside the ICC calendar -- the Indian Premier League -- which was due to start from March 29 has been postponed till April 15.
(IANS)
Global Times tweeted on Tuesday that a person from "Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday. He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested".
The tweet went viral on various social media platforms, with people saying does �coronavirus needs a backup now?"
"I think am ready to move to another planet. Honestly," tweeted one user.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hantaviruses.
Read: COVID-19 Cases Exceed One Lakh In Europe, China Reports New Domestic Cases For 2nd Day
Early symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, especially in thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders.
An infected person may also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide.
Infection with any hantavirus can produce hantavirus disease in people.
Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as "New World" hantaviruses and may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Other hantaviruses, known as "Old World" hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host.
Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantaviruses is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus.
In Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred among close contacts of a person who was ill with a type of hantavirus called Andes virus, according to the CDC.
However, not all were impressed by the news.
"Hantavirus has been around since the 1970s. Human-to-human spread is possible, but very rare. Let's not add fuel to the flame," tweeted one user on Global Times' Twitter handle.
(With Agency Inputs)
Also Read: Coronavirus Death Toll: Spain Becomes Third With Nearly 400 More Deaths