COVID-19- Two schools shut down in NOIDA, Visas suspension extended to 4 other countries, families quarantined

Two private schools in Noida were shut down Tuesday for the next few days and several men, including family members of the Delhi man who tested positive for the virus, quarantined or held in isolation as authorities stepped up preventive measures including extending the suspension of existing normal and e visas to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan who have not yet entered India.

On February 4, following the outbreak of Coronavirus, which has now spread to over 60 countries and claimed over 3,100 lives, India had cancelled the current visas for Chinese nationals and foreigners who had visited the neighboring country in the preceding two-week period. More than 90,000 were contaminated.

Officials said the sample being sent to the National Institute of Virology by an Italian tourist in Jaipur, Pune was found to be positive after the first two tests provided contradictory results. The 69-year-old man, who is part of a group of 20 visitors, is admitted to an SMS Hospital isolation ward.

So far six COVID-19 cases have registered ben in the country with this.

While fears about the spread of the virus escalated after two more positively reported on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a detailed readiness study. He urged the people not to panic but to take basic protective measures instead.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation also held a meeting with all airports to review and update the guidelines

Sources said the Mayur Vihar patient in Delhi, who had recently traveled to Italy, was moved on Sunday night to a quarantine ward at Safdarjung Hospital.

One of the schools in Noida, in the outskirts of Delhi, where the son of the Delhi man is a primary school student, said he'll stay shut from March 4th to March 6th, while the other said he'll be shut down until Saturday. The board exams are not affected, the messages sent by the schools to the parents made clear.

Before coming to light the man had held a birthday party for the child last week, causing worries that those who attended it might be at risk including some students and their families.

Samples from five school students were taken to check if anyone was sick, said Anurag Bhargava, chief medical officer at Noida.

Fumigation was underway in both the schools and the site was visited by a Health Department team led by Noida's chief medical officer, one official said.

While some of the man's family members, an accountant and others who came in contact with him were asked to remain quarantined at their homes in Delhi and Agra, six others from Agra were kept isolated at Safdarjung Hospital with "high-viral load" in Delhi and their samples sent to NIV, Pune, officials said.

The contact tracking of the people who came into touch with the six is being done simultaneously through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) network, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Hotels and authorities at tourist sites in Agra were told to notify the Chief Medical Officer's office as soon as tourists from Italy, Iran or China arrived, so they could be screened for coronavirus infection, Agra Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mukesh Vats told PTI.

The other patient, a 24-year-old techie who tested positive for the COVID-19 infection, is admitted to Hyderabad and had recently traveled to Dubai and Bengaluru.

Health Minister Karnataka B Sriramulu said a medical team is monitoring the health of all those people who have come in touch with the software engineer.

India had previously reported three cases from Kerala including two Wuhan medical students in China, the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus novel. All three are recovering.

"It has come to our knowledge that the coronavirus-hit person in Hyderabad had gone from Bengaluru. Therefore, all the members in the house where he had stayed have been identified and are under watch," Sriramulu tweeted on late Monday night.

Last month, the software engineer had worked with people from Dubai's Hong Kong where he is accused of contracting the virus, Telangana health minister E Rajender told reporters in Hyderabad.

On February 19-20, the man reached Bengaluru and later went on a bus to Hyderabad. He took treatment for fever after coming to Hyderabad and was admitted to a private super specialty hospital in the city. As it did not subside, he came to the state-run Gandhi hospital on Sunday evening, Rajender said.

On Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry said all normal visas / e-visas issued to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan, who have not yet entered India on or before March 3, were suspended in view of the evolving global COVID 19 disease scenarios.

Visa upon arrival (VoA) issued on or before 3 March to nationals of Japan and South Korea who have not yet reached India stand suspended in view of the emerging global scenarios regarding COVID19 disease.

Visas on arrival (VoA), given to Japanese and South Korean nationals on or before March 3, who have not yet reached India, were also suspended.

It also said diplomats, UN officials and other international bodies, OCI cardholders and aircrew from the countries above are exempted from such entry restrictions. Yet their screening for medication is mandatory.

"Passengers of all international flights entering India from any port must file a properly filled-in self-declaration form (including personal details, i.e. telephone number and address in India) and travel history with health officials and immigration officials at all ports.

"Non-restricted passengers (both international and Indian) arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan must undergo medical screening at the port of entry," she said.

The ministry said that in view of the fresh directions all previous advisories are superseded.

It asked all Indian people to refrain from traveling to China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and to avoid non-essential travel to other COVID-19 countries affected.

Had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Different ministries and states are working together, from screening people arriving in India to providing prompt medical attention," the prime minister said in a tweet.

"There is no need to panic. We need to work together, take small yet important measures to ensure self-protection," he said while sharing a health ministry post.

Meanwhile in Lucknow, samples of a resident of Uttar Pradesh who had returned Tuesday morning from Saudi Arabia were sent for processing. According to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narendra Agarwal, he will be quarantined in a hospital for 14 days. 

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