All WHO, Centre 2019-nCoV guidelines in place in Goa: Rane

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said the state government was following the guidelines laid down by World Health Organisation and the Centre to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak and had set up isolation wards in two places.

The 2019-nCoV outbreak in China has put tremendous pressure on medical infrastructure across the world, including India which so far has three reported cases of the infection.

A senior Goa health department official said, currently, one person was in an isolation ward in GMCH for suspected exposure to the virus while 14 others were being monitored outside.

"I don't think there is any fear on coronavirus as far as Goa is concerned. Till date, there is no positive case of coronavirus reported in Goa. We have set up isolation wards at Chicalim (South Goa) and Goa Medical College and Hospital (North Goa)," Rane said.

He said a task force under chief secretary Parimal Rai is in place to oversee measures against the novel coronavirus outbreak, adding that his department was in touch via video- conferencing with health authorities at the Centre and other states.

The death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak has gone up to 908 with 97 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province and the confirmed cases of infection crossing 40,000, Chinese health officials said on Monday.