Coronavirus outbreak: Kerala reports third case

Kasaragod/New Delhi: Kerala reported its third case of novel coronavirus on Monday. A person who had travelled to China's Wuhan earlier tested positive, state Health Minister KK Shailaja confirmed. "The patient is under treatment at the Kanjangad District Hospital in Kasaragod," the minister said.

"The patient's condition is stable," the official added. This is the third case in Kerala after deadly coronavirus claimed more than 300 lives in China. A person who also had a history of travelling China had tested positive on Sunday.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China, is the epicentre of the outbreak. Across the world, it has been reported in 24 countries, including India.

The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic soared to 361 with 57 deaths. China's National Health Commission in its daily report said that 2,829 new cases of coronavirus were reported nationwide on February 2, taking the total number of infections to 17,205.

In the rise of global epidemic, India issued a fresh travel advisory on Sunday. People are asked to avoid travelling to China. Anyone with travel history in China since 15th January 2020 and from now on could be quarantined, health ministry said in a statement.

The Central government also suspended issuing electronic visas, or e-visas, to Chinese passport holders and applicants of other nationalities residing in China.

"Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect.

This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China," the Embassy of India in Beijing said on Twitter.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) has set up screening and testing counters in most of the airports of northeast India, a top AAI official told PTI on Monday. Officials in Mizoram capital Aizawl said that two people, who had returned to the state from China early January, have been quarantined.

India has so far evacuated over 600 Indians, mostly students, stranded in Wuhan after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global epidemic.

Amid the global outbreak, the Central Government asked all the hospitals across all states and Union territories (UTs) to prepare isolation wards.

Health authorities continued to screen all passengers coming from China and Hong Kong at over 21 airports. Immigration and other staff members at airports have been sensitized and ambulances are on standby.