Coronavirus: all 15 quarantined patients test negative, eight

All 15 persons quarantined in hospitals in Maharashtra for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus have tested negative, an official statement said here on Saturday.

No confirmed case of coronavirus infection has been found in Maharashtra so far.

Eight of the quarantined patients have been discharged, five would be discharged by Saturday evening, while two, admitted to civic-run Kasturba Hospital here, will be discharged on Sunday, the statement said.

Of the 15 individuals who were quarantined after showing symptoms such as cold, fever and cough, five each were kept under observation in Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai and Naidu Hospital in Pune.

The remaining persons were admitted to hospitals in Nagpur and Nanded.

"Three of the five patients admitted at Kasturba Hospital have been discharged. The remaining two will be discharged tomorrow," the statement said.

"Five patients at Naidu Hospital were given discharge today. The remaining patients from Nagpur and Nanded too will be given discharge today," it added.

A total of 5,128 passengers who returned from China where the outbreak of the virus was first reported were screened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here since January 18.

Of these, four passengers were from Maharashtra. Besides, 34 more persons in the state were found to have returned from the affected region in China.

The government has launched toll free number '104' for addressing queries about the disease.

Coronavirus infection has killed 259 people in China so far.

In India, the first confirmed case of infection has been found in Kerala.