Coronavirus cases rise to 62 in India, Jammu and Kashmir reports its first case of COVID-19 infection

Tuesday saw a sharp rise in the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in India. Kerala reported eight new cases, while Karanataka reported four, Maharastra five and Jammu and Kashmir confirmed its first case of Coronavirus infection. This brings the country total to 62, including the three from Kerala who were diagnosed in early February and who have since recovered and been discharged from hospital.  

A three-year-old in Kerala tested positive for COVID-19 and became the youngest Indian patient yet. An 87-year-old woman, who tested positive in Kerala and is admitted in Kottayam Medical College, is considered to be in a critical state.

Citizens of Mumbai, Maharashtra, burned an effigy of the Coronavirus on the occasion of Holika Dahan on Monday.

Updated travel advisory

Visas already granted before 3 March to anyone travelling from China, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan had already been suspended; now visas granted on or before March 11 to travellers from France, Germany and Spain have been added to that list. Additionally, anyone travelling to India from South Korea or Italy will be required to show a certificate that says they’ve been tested for Coronavirus and the result was negative, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. Previously, it was also announced that all passengers with a travel history to China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan are required to be screened when they arrive in India.  

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has limited entry from many virus-affected nations, including India.  

The visas of any travellers from the affected countries who have already arrived in India still stand valid but many are advised to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days. Employers have also been asked to allow such people to work from home during this time.

State-wise news

All public events in Kerala have been postponed and all schools, colleges and theatres will remain closed till 31 March. Jammu and Kashmir have imposed similar restrictions to control the spread of the virus. All over India, school until Class 7 will remain closed as well.  

Many companies with offices in India have restricted travel and allowed employees to work from home.

Telecom services are playing an important role in spreading information about the virus - every time you make a call from your cellphone, you hear a prerecorded message about the signs of the new Coronavirus infection and precautions you can take to prevent it.

Global statistic

Almost 120,000 cases have been reported all over the world. Out of these 4,284 have resulted in death and over 65,000 have recovered. The new Coronavirus has spread to 113 countries so far. While China shows a steady decline in the new number of cases, the rate of global spread is still on the rise.  

Pakistan has reported 16 cases and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh recently reported their first cases as well. Last week Bhutan had reported its first case - an American tourist who travelled there from India. Bhutan has banned the entry of all tourists for a period of two weeks.  

For more tips, read our article on   Coronavirus _._

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