Coronavirus outbreak: Confirmed cases in India at 43; countries brace for COVID-19 impact

The total number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in India reached 43 on March 9. The number includes three patients from Kerala who had recovered in February.

One new case each was reported from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Union Health Ministry officials announced. They confirmed that there had been no death due to novel coronavirus in the country so far.

A 63-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus in J&K, making her the first confirmed case in the Union Territory.

The woman, who had a travel history to Iran, was among two patients who were declared "high viral load cases" by the administration over the weekend.

They are undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital and are reportedly in stable condition.

More details are awaited about the active cases in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

A three-year-old child in Kerala, who had recently travelled to Italy, tested positive for COVID-19. The child and his parents have been kept in isolation at the Ernakulam Medical College. However, this was not among the cases confirmed by the Health Ministry.

There are hundreds who are either being monitored by authorities or have been placed under quarantine as a preventive measure.

Ladakh man dies of symptoms linked to COVID-19

Mohamad Ali, a former policeman, who recently returned from Iran, died in Ladakh after showing symptoms linked to COVID-19.

The 76-year-old’s death has prompted authorities to cordon off his village. All schools and colleges in Ladakh have been ordered to remain closed till March 31.

Authorities are waiting for the final test results to declare if he was indeed infected by the virus as he has a history of other medical conditions.

Cases beyond India

Globally, there have been over 1.1 lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19. At least 3,800 people have died so far. Many of these deaths have happened in China, from where the spread started.

China reported 22 more deaths on March 9. However, this is the lowest number of fatalities in over a month. New confirmed cases hit a record low of 40, prompting Chinese authorities to close 11 temporary hospitals in COVID-19’s epicentre Wuhan. The death toll in China now stands at 3,119.

Other parts of mainland China, outside Hubei province, reported no new locally transmitted cases for the second straight day.

Novel coronavirus cases are rapidly rising across South Korea, Italy and Iran, among other countries.

As of March 9, the total number of confirmed cases in South Korea was just under 7,400, with 53 deaths. Confirmed cases in Italy stood at over 7,300, with more than 360 deaths. The death toll in Iran was just under 200, with over 6,500 confirmed cases.

Precautions being taken across the world

Bangladesh has postponed the inaugural ceremony of the birth centenary celebrations of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after three coronavirus cases were confirmed in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to attend the event in Dhaka on March 17. This visit has now been cancelled, reports suggest.

On March 9, Qatar temporarily barred travellers from 14 countries as a precautionary measure.

Kuwait has suspended flights to and from India for a week, and has banned the entry of foreigners who have been to India in the past two weeks.

Schools and colleges in New York State, the US, have announced that they are suspending classes, as the number of coronavirus cases there jumped to more than 100.

(With inputs from agencies)