Coronavirus outbreak: India on high alert as sixth case confirmed

Two private
schools in Noida were shut on Tuesday for next few days after father of one of
their students tested positive for Coronavirus, while several people, including
his family members, were kept in isolation as authorities stepped up prevention
efforts including suspending existing regular and e- visas to nationals of four
other affected countries.

Officials
said the sample of an Italian tourist in Jaipur which was sent to National
Institute of Virology, Pune was found to be positive after the first two tests
gave contradictory results.

With this,
six cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country so far. Three of the
patients have recovered.

The
69-year-old Italian’s wife also tested positive for the virus on Tuesday but
her samples are being sent to Pune for another test. The couple has been kept
in isolation at the Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital.

Sources said
the patient from Mayur Vihar in Delhi, who had travelled to Italy recently and
tested positive on Monday, was shifted to a quarantine ward at Safdarjung
Hospital on Sunday night.

One of the
schools in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi, where the Delhi man’s son is a
primary class student, said it will remain shut from March 4 to March 6, while
the other said it will be closed till Saturday. The board exams are not
affected, the messages sent by the schools to the parents made clear.

It came to
light that the man had thrown a birthday party last week for the child,
triggering fears that those who attended it including some students and his
relatives might be at risk.

Samples from
six people from Noida, including three children, have been taken to check if
anyone has been infected, Noida’s Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava said.