The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 169, reports PTI. The pandemic, described as an “unprecedented threat” by the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom, has now affected over 2,00,000 people around the world and caused 8,000 deaths globally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Thursday at 8 PM during which he will talk about issues relating to COVID-19 and the efforts to combat it, the prime minister’s office announced on Wednesday.
The border between the US and Canada has been temporarily closed by “mutual consent” to restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-US border. US President Donald Trump said he plans to invoke a wartime law that will allow him to direct the expanded production of supplies needed to address the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, A woman has tested positive for COVID-19 in Srinagar on Wednesday, making it the first case from Kashmir while three test reports are awaited at two testing laboratories here.
Principal Secretary Planning and J&K Government Spokesman Rohit Kansal announced the first COVID-19 positive case of Kashmir late Wednesday evening.
In a tweet, he wrote “First positive case in Kashmir- Khanyar, Srinagar. History of foreign travel.” The patient, he wrote, had been put in isolation and surveillance had been started in 300m area around her residence. Her contacts have been directed to self-report any symptoms.
An official said the patient, a female, with travel history to Saudi Arabia had tested positive at SKIMS, a designated testing center for COVID-19. She had arrived at Srinagar Airport two days ago.
Meanwhile, four samples have tested negative in Kashmir while three reports are awaited.
A man with a travel history of Italy was admitted to SKIMS today with acute respiratory symptoms. His sample was sent for testing and reports were awaited, medical superintendent Dr. Farooq Jan said. 13 patients were currently admitted to the quarantine facility of the hospital.
At GMC Srinagar, 14 patients were admitted with similar complaints and travel history in the past four days. Dr. S Saleem Khan, nodal officer of the medical college for COVID-19 said four samples, taken from patients yesterday, have tested negative while reports of two samples were awaited. “We have already discharged two patients who have improved,” he said.
COVID-19 positive cases in India have crossed 150. J&K has reported three positive cases in the Jammu division till date.
