First Coronavirus case confirmed in India; Health Minister Harsh Vardhan issues response

After the first case of Coronavirus being confirmed in India, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said that the government has been putting all its might into dealing with the threat. 

"Even before the case was detected, we were doing our best. If there is a positive case, we will treat them. I have been informed about one positive case and I will go to the office and find about it. The whole govt is doing its best to ensure no case comes positive, said Harsh Vardhan.

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Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja has said that 20 samples were sent for tests out of which one was found to be positive. The patient who is a student studying at Wuhan University had returned from China after the outbreak and has tested positive. She is now kept in isolation at General Hospital in Thrissur. Shailaja has said that the patient is currently stable.

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7700 cases reported in China, 170 dead

The deadly Coronavirus has claimed at least 170 lives with more than 7,700 cases reported in China. India has been continuously monitoring the situation in China and the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reviewed the preparedness against novel Coronavirus including an evacuation plan. Screening of passengers with travel history from China has been extended to 13 more airports and the ministry is procuring more thermal scanners for faster screening. 

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On January 29, Sanjeeva Kumar, Special Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, chaired a video conference with Health Secretaries of states. States/Union Territories reported that the thermal and symptomatic screening has been initiated at all identified airports and screening sensors are operational with few more such equipment getting procured. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has made a formal request to China to facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals from Wuhan, the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak. The Indian Embassy in China is continuing to maintain close contact with its nationals in Wuhan city and elsewhere in Hubei. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson informed that the Indian Embassy has opened three hotlines to respond to concerns of those affected by this situation.

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