Amid Corona pandemic, case registered against 79 people for gathering at Cochin Airport

Authorities at Cochin have registered a case against 75 unknown persons and 4 others who had gathered at the Cochin International airport on Sunday night to welcome a reality show contestant. The charges were invoked for violating the ban on mass gathering issues by the airport authority in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic.

Ernakulam district collector S Suhas also took to his official Facebook page and informed about a "Case being registered against four known persons and 75 unknown people."  As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) had banned gatherings at both terminals of the airport but hundreds of people gathered last night, around 9 pm to welcome Rajith, the reality show contestant.

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Coronavirus in India

According to the latest figures available on Monday, the total number of positive cases of Coronavirus in India has soared up to 110 as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Two deaths have been reported in Kalaburagi and West Delhi respectively. India has suspended all visas, barring for a few categories such as diplomatic and employment apart from keeping in abeyance the visa-free travel facility to OCI cardholders till April 15.

Moreover, the Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad. The government is also monitoring all suspected cases and has issued preventive advisories. 

Taking into consideration the rising number of Coronavirus cases, the Central Government on March 14 decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster."

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The Coronavirus crisis

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel Coronavirus has affected nearly 141 countries in the world. Presently, there are over 156,948 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of 5,839 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus.

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(With inputs from ANI)