New Delhi, March 13: India is on high alert after the country reported its first coronavirus death in Karnataka on Thursday. Till now, 75 positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed by the Health Ministry, of which three cases from Kerala have recovered and been discharged. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) as a global pandemic with over 118,000 coronavirus cases sweeping across 114 countries of the world. The coronavirus outbreak was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan city of China. Accrording to official figures by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as many as 4613 deaths have been reported worldwide till March 12 with 1,25,048 confirmed cases. Coronavirus Live Map: Track The Spread of COVID-19 Across The Globe.

India Reports First Coronavirus Death

The death of a 76 year-old man from Karnataka is confirmed to be caused due to COVID-19. Karnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu confirmed that the man from Kalaburgi died of Coronavirus. The deceased had visited Saudi Arabia from 29th January 2020 to 29th February 2020.

Coronavirus Vaccine May Take Up to 2 Years

The vaccine for the deadly coronavirus will take nearly 2 years, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Thursday. The Health Ministry said that all facts about  Coronavirus are still being studied as there are no confirmatory studies. The Ministry informed that it is generally expected that the virus, if it is in higher temperatures may have difficulty in surviving, but it is not confirmed. Coronavirus Vaccine Will Take Nearly 2 Years, Says ICMR; Health Ministry Lists Measures to Contain Outbreak.

PM Narendra Modi Urges Indians Not to Panic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged Indians not to panic amid the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in the country.  "Say No to Panic, Say Yes to Precautions," the Prime Minister tweeted. He said he is constantly monitoring and reviewing the situation with the top officials of the concerned Ministries/Departments and States/UTs since the first case was declared on December 31, 2019 in the city of Wuhan in China. The Prime Minister on Thursday tweeted that no Minister would travel aboard in the coming days. Coronavirus Outbreak in India: ’No Central Govt Minister Will Travel Abroad in Upcoming Days, Says PM Narendra Modi.

Black Friday For Investors as Markets Crash Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

On the markets front, the Indian bourses on Friday entered the bear zone with the BSE Sensex registering its biggest single-day fall of over 3000 points. Investors woke up to a Black Friday as equity indices crashed by nearly 10 per cent with coronavirus panic selling globally hitting almost every asset class. At 10 am, the BSE S&P Sensex was down by 3,091 points or 9.43 per cent to 29,688 while the Nifty 50 slumped by 966 points or 10.07 per cent to 8,624.

Shutdown in States Amid Outbreak

As a precautionary measure, several states announce a shutdown of schools, colleges, cinema halls and urged people to avoid social gatherings. In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced closure till March 31 of all cinema halls and education institutions in the national capital.

In Uttarakhand, all schools will remain closed till March 31 in view of COVID-19 Pandemic. R Meenakshi Sundaram, Uttarakhand School Education Secretary said that Educational institutes where examinations are being held to remain open till the examinations are underway.

Measures Taken by Govt Amid Outbreak

In the wake of the pandemic, the government has met 6 times so far, guiding, reviewing and monitoring the situation. The government has taken up various measures along with States/UTs to strengthen community surveillance, quarantine facilities, isolation wards, adequate PPEs for management of COVID-19.

Screening at airports was started on January 17 at 3 airports (Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata) which was extended to 4 more airports (Chennai, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad) on January 21, 2020 and subsequently extended to 30 airports. All incoming passengers are being universally screened at the 30 airports. Similarly, screening was initiated for vessels arriving at 12 major ports and 65 non-major ports.

Indian Brings Back Over 900 People From COVID-19 Hit Countries

India mounted timely evacuation of its citizens starting February 1, 2020 from COVID-19 affected countries. So far, the Government of India has evacuated 900 Indian citizens along with 48 belonging to other nationalities like Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, US, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru. In addition, 83 evacuees from Italy who arrived yesterday have been housed at Manesar facility for quarantine. All patients in the hospitals are being treated and reported to be stable.

COVID-19 Helpline numbers Issued For States/ UTs

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in India, the government has issued a list of all COVID-19 Helpline numbers from various States & Union Territories. The Health Ministry has tweeted a list of 36 helpline numbers to help people amid the outbreak. "India is one of the few countries leading the fight against Coronavirus Pandemic, be a responsible citizen and RT / Share this as widely as possible.

Take a Look at the Helpline Numbers Here:

Around 1 lakh Testing Kits Available in India, Says Health Ministry

The government said that around 1 lakh testing kits available in India and the country was prepared if any situation arises. Moreover, additional testing kits have already been ordered and they are also in procurement. A total of 52 testing facilities are located across the country and total of 56 sample collection centers are active. COVID-19 Update: China Says Peak of Current Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease in the Country Is Now Over.

Visas Suspended Till April 15

  1. All existing visas (except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas) stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020 at the port of departure.

  2. OCI card holders already in India can stay in India as long as they want.

  3. Visa free travel facility granted to OCI card holders is kept in abeyance till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13thMarch 2020 at the port of departure.

  4. Visas of all foreigners already in India remain valid and they may contact the nearest FRRO/FRO through e-FRRO module for extension/conversion etc. of their visa or grant of any consular service, if they choose to do so.

  5. Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission.

International Passengers Entering India to Give Self-Declaration Form

All international Passengers entering into India are required to furnish duly filled self-declaration form in duplicate (including personal particulars i.e. phone no. and address in India) to Health Officials and Immigration officials and undergo Universal Health Screening at the designated health counters at all Points of Entry.

The pandemic has disrupted cultural and sports events around the world as authorities try to prevent large gatherings. In February, India extended the suspension of Delhi-Shanghai and Delhi-Hong Kong services till June 30. The flights to Shanghai had been cancelled from January 31 to February 14, and to Hong Kong from February 7 until March 28.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 13, 2020 10:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).