COVID-19: Health Minister Briefs Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The Union Health Minister, Dr. Harshvardhan told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, that 29 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and that three of them had recovered. He also said that the Prime Minister is personally monitoring the COVID-19 crisis. The Health Minister informed the Rajya Sabha that a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted and had held meetings on the way forward.

Here are some of the other updates:

• The Cabinet Secretary has been coordinating with state chief secretaries and with all ministries. Video conferences are being held with states.

• Travel advisories are being revised constantly in view of the evolving situation.

• The Health Minister also briefed the Upper House on suspension of visas to people from China, Korea, Iran and Italy.

• Dr. Harshvardhan announced that a self-declaration form is to be filled by passengers at all airports.

• Indian passengers have been advised to avoid non-essential travel to COVID-19 affected countries.

• The total number of positive cases in the country rose to 29 with a Paytm employee testing positive in Gurugram on the outskirts of Delhi. The employee, who had been to Italy on a vacation, has been quarantined and other employees in the building have been asked to work from home.

• The Medanta Hospital at the request of the government admitted 15 Italian tourists who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Italians were first screened and later shifted to the Medanta Hospital from the ITBP isolation facility.

• The CBSE meanwhile, has allowed students writing exams to use sanitisers and masks.

• The Mumbai civic body set up its own screening facility to tackle the COVID-19 challenge, while the Uttar Pradesh government constituted an 18 member body to handle the COVID-19 crisis.

• In Madhya Pradesh tests of two individuals are awaited.

• All positive samples across the country are being sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune for reconfirmation. 

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