Coronavirus scare: Passengers undergoing screening at 21 airports, 12 seaports, says Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

Hours after the confirmation of two cases of coronavirus in India on Monday (March 2), Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the government is actively monitoring the situation and screening of passengers is being done at 21 airports, 12 seaports and 65 minor seaports. 

Addressing a press conference, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that over 5 lakh passengers have been screened at airports while 12,431 passengers have been screened on minor and major seaports so far.

The Union Minister added that 23 samples have been sent for testing and the results are awaited. “We advise Indians to avoid non-essential travel to China, Iran, Korea, Singapore, and Italy. As the situation develops, the travel restrictions may be further extended to other countries also”, he added.

Dr Harsh Vardhan confirmed that one positive case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Delhi and Telangana each. "The person who has tested positive in Delhi has travel history from Italy while the other person has travel history from Dubai. ‘Both the patients are stable and being closely monitored,"  a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated.

Meanwhile, the US confirmed the second death case by coronavirus infection on Sunday. Public health officials in King County, Washington, said a man in his 70s with underlying health conditions died on Saturday at Evergreen Health Hospital in Kirkland, CNN reported. It is the same facility where officials witnessed the nation`s first coronavirus death on Saturday.

The first US death in Washington state was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions, officials said.  The patient had no recent travel history or contact with people known to be infected, officials said. Officials also announced three other confirmed coronavirus cases in the county, all at Evergreen Health.

They include a woman in her 80s, a woman in her 90s and a man in his 70s. All were in critical condition with underlying health issues. All four new cases were residents of a nursing facility in Kirkland where two other people -- a resident and a worker -- had previously tested positive. As of Sunday night, 87 cases of coronavirus had been identified in the United States, according to The New York Times. The first of those cases was announced on January 21. Twenty-two cases were announced on Saturday and Sunday, including the country`s first two deaths, both in Washington State.

In Italy, the number of people infected with the coronavirus has reached 1,577, while five more have died, bringing the death toll to 34, the civil protection chief said on Sunday.

In mainland China, at least 2,912 people have so far been killed of the deadly virus whereas the global death toll crossed over 3,000, according to the National Health Commission.