COVID-19 confirmed cases increase to 60 as 10 new cases test positive

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : There are now 60 positive cases of COVID-19 in India including the 3 cases from Kerala discharged earlier. Ten  new cases of COVID-19 have been reported since update issued on March 10, 2020. Among these 10 new cases, 8 cases are from Kerala, one from Rajasthan and one from Delhi.

Government of India has undertaken evacuation operations from several countries in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak to bring back Indian citizens as well as nationals from other countries.

As it became clear that Iran was facing a COVID-19 outbreak, Government of India started to undertake measures to ensure safety and security of its citizens in the country. Indian nationals in Iran include pilgrims, students and fishermen. On 7^th March 7, 2020, 108 samples were received from Iran. These samples are being tested at the laboratory of AIIMS. Also, six scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have been stationed in Iran. Equipment and reagents have also been dispatched to enable them to set up a lab. The first batch of 58 evacuees from Iran arrived on March 10, 2020, with 25 men, 31 women, and 2 children on board. All evacuees are asymptomatic at present, according to a PIB release.

So far, Government of India has evacuated 948 passengers from COVID-19 affected countries. Out of these, 900 are Indian citizens and 48 belonging to different nationalities including Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, USA, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, and Peru.

Earlier, as Wuhan city in Hubei province of China became the epicentre of the COVID-19 and there were hundreds of Indians stuck in the city, Air India operated two special flights for the evacuation efforts which brought back 654 passengers that included 647 Indian citizens.

In addition, for the case involving the Japanese Cruise Ship, Diamond Princess, on February 27, 2020, Air India flight carried an evacuation operation bringing back 124 passengers including 5 foreign nationals from Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, and Peru, from Port of Yokohama in Japan. The evacuees are housed at army facility at Manesar. They have tested negative in the first test.