Health Minister Assures No Screening Lapse
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare assured the house that there were no screening lapses pertaining to COVID-19 in his address to the Lok Sabha on March 12, 2020.
Many Members of Parliament raised questions about the authenticity of the screening process and the tracking of cases which were asymptomatic at first but later tested positive.
The minister assured all the members that along with authentic screening, the government was also actively carrying out community surveillance and tracking detailed contact transmission of the ones who have tested positive.
Pune To Take Action Against People Who Revealed Identity Of Patients
Authorities in Pune have warned of penal action against those who reveal the identity of patients testing positive for coronavirus on social media platforms.
This comes after WhatsApp was abuzz with a list showcasing names of people who were claimed to have tested positive for the virus.
India To Send Medical Officials To Italy
The Union Minister of External Affairs Mr. S Jaishankar addressed the Lok Sabha on March 12, stating that a few medical officials are being sent to Italy to collect the samples of Indian nationals in Italy. The ones who test negative may be evacuated and returned to India.
Over 70 Indians, including students, have been stranded in Italy as they do not have the COVID-19 negative certificates. They appealed to the government to withdraw mandatory order.
When asked about the response from the Indian Embassy, the stranded Indians stated that the Embassy was discussing the matter with the government, but so far there was no word from them.
India Invokes Epidemic Act of 1897
The Indian Government has invoked Section 2 of the Epidemic Act of 1897 to tackle the novel Coronavirus.
The Section 2 and 2A of the Act suggests that the Central Government has the power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease and the separate powers of Central Government.
The Act reads:
When at any time the [State Government] is satisfied that [the State] or any part thereof is visited by, or threatened with, an outbreak of any dangerous epidemic disease, the [State Government], if [it] thinks that the ordinary provisions of the law for the time being in force are insufficient for the purpose, may take, or require or empower any person to take, such me asures and, by public notice, prescribe such temporary regulations to be observed by the public or by any person or class of persons as [it] shall deem necessary to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof, and may determine in what manner and by whom any expenses incurred (including compensation if any) shall be defrayed.
In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, the [State Government] may take measures and prescribe regulations for—
(b) the inspection of persons travelling by railway or otherwise, and the segregation, in hospital, temporary accommodation or otherwise, of persons suspected by the inspecting officer of being infectedwith any such disease.
It also mentions that when the Central Government is satisfied that India or any part thereof is visited by, or threatened with, an outbreak of any dangerous epidemic disease and that the ordinary provisions of the law for the time being in force are insufficient to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof, the Central Government may take measures and prescribe regulations for the inspection of any ship or vessel leaving or arriving at any port in [the territories to which this Act extends] and for such detention thereof, or of any person intending to sail therein, or arriving thereby, as may be necessary.
Haryana Declares State Epidemic
Haryana has declared coronavirus to be a state epidemic.
Haryana has confirmed that 14 Italian nationals have tested positive.
Nagpur And Pune Confirm New Cases
A 45-year-old man in Nagpur tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently undergoing treatment in a special ward of IGMC Nagpur.
He had returned from the US.
Pune confirmed its eighth case of COVID-19
Canadian Doctor Tests Positive In Lucknow
A woman doctor from Canada has tested coronavirus positive in Lucknow, becoming the 10th positive case in Uttar Pradesh.
The patient, who tested positive late Wednesday night, has been admitted in an isolation ward in King George's Medical University (KGMU).
Her blood sample reported positive result at the KGMU laboratory, and will now be sent for reconfirmation to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
According to KGMU Medicine Department, Prof Himanshu said on Thursday that the woman is a doctor based in Toronto, Canada. She travelled to Lucknow via London and Mumbai on March 8.
When she was scanned at the Lucknow airport, she did not show any symptoms of coronavirus but later developed fever and cough and contacted the KGMU doctors on her own.
Her husband who tested negative for the virus was also admitted to the isolation ward.
India Confirms 73 Cases
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recorded 73 cases in India as of 11:00 AM, March 2020.
Maharashtra recorded 9 new cases taking the total to 11 cases.
Two new cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh which includes one foreign national, one each from Delhi and Ladakh.
US Suspends Travel From Europe
In a televised address, US President Donald Trump has suspended air travel from all European countries for one month.
This list of countries does not include UK which has over 450 positive cases.
The new travel rules will be applicable from midnight of March 13, 2020
India Suspends Incoming Visas To Foreign Nationals
The Government of India has issued a new travel advisory stating that most visas stand suspended from March 13, 2020 till April 15, 2020.
This advisory was released after a second meeting of the High Level Group of Ministers was held at the Nirman Bhavan which was chaired by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
The advisory states that visas of diplomatic, official, UN/International organizations, employment, and project visas will not be suspended.
It further advises Indian nationals to avoid travelling abroad unless extremely necessary and suggests that they could be quarantined for 14 days on their return to India.
All travellers who will be returning from or have returned from China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, Japan, France, Germany and Spain post February 15 will be quarantined for a period of 14 days, starting March 13.