Woman who tested positive for coronavirus dies in Delhi: Health Ministry

On Thursday, the first death was reported in Karnataka

A 68-year-old woman in Delhi became the country’s second victim of coronavirus on Friday as several states went into battle mode to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The number of positive cases in the country includes the woman and a 76-year-old man from Karnataka who became the country’s first coronavirus fatality, Health Ministry officials said.

 

Health ministry and Delhi government officials said the woman came in contact with her son, the fifth case of coronavirus in the national capital, with a history travel history to Switzerland and Italy between February 5 and 22. Her death was caused due to co-morbidity (diabetes and hypertension), they said, adding she had tested positive for COVID-19. 

She was admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, officials said. Cases of the infection have been reported from at least 11 states and Union Territories, including Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala, where three patients were discharged last month after they recovered.

The Centre has decided to allow international traffic only through 19 border checkposts out of 37 and continue the suspension of Indo-Bangladesh cross border passenger trains and buses till April 15, or earlier, if so decided.

Officials disclosed that 42,000 people across the country are under community surveillance.

States shut down AS cases reach 82

Several states across India went into battle mode to contain the spread of COVID-19, shutting down schools, theatres, and colleges, and many public events were postponed as the health ministry on Friday put the number of cases at 82 (17 of them foreigners). 

 

The count is likely to be higher with Army sources saying a man who had returned from Italy this week tested positive at the force's quarantine facilities in Manesar in Haryana.

Karnataka, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, and Bihar went into virtual shutdown mode. 

Amid speculation over the Budget Session being shortened, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told PTI, “There is no question of curtailing the session.”

Global toll topped 5,000 and total cases rose to 135,118

• Coronavirus drags China’s FDI down 8.6% in Jan-Feb
• World Health Organization declares Europe “epicentre” of COVID-19 pandemic
• Korea reports more recoveries than cases 
• Italian firms rush to provide funds for virus emergency
• Japan passes law allowing state of emergency
• Romanian PM quarantined 
• Canada PM Justin Trudeau’s wife, Sophie, tests positive
• Ethiopia and Kenya confirm first cases
• Ukraine and Sudan reports first death from virus
• Disney halts production on all live-action movies 
• Trump’s “postpone Olympic” idea shot down by Japanese Olympic minister

New test 10 times faster is FDA approved

Testing in the US will accelerate within the next week because of coordination with the private sector, the government’s top infectious disease scientist said. Roche advanced after saying it won emergency approval in the US for a test that could speed up the ability to diagnose patients by a factor of 10.

Meanwhile, US President  Donald Trump plans to declare a national emergency on Friday over the coronavirus outbreak.