Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to chair emergency meet in Delhi on Coronavirus

The meeting will be held at 11 am in Nirman Bhavan. After the meeting, the media will be informed about the preparations undertaken by the government.

File photo

New Delhi: The Central government will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday (March 4, 2020) on coronavirus and the newly confirmed cases in Delhi, Rajasthan and Telangana. The meeting will be presided by Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at 11 am in Nirman Bhavan. After the meeting, the media will be informed about the preparations undertaken by the government.

The Delhi state government, on the other hand, held a meeting yesterday and reviewed the preparedness of the state. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held the meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and other officials on the preparations undertaken by the state for the prevention of an outbreak.

Sisodia appealed to people to not panic and said cautioned people to make a habit of washing hands repeatedly for 30 to 40 seconds. "While talking to others, try to avoid shaking hands. Always keep in mind that without washing, do not apply anything by hand or nose. This is how the infection of the coronavirus spreads," he said.

As many as 25 hospitals in Delhi have been kept ready for patients, of which 19 beds are in state-run hospitals while 6 are at private hospitals, he told reporters at a press conference in Delhi.

So far six positive cases of deadly coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Health Ministry informed on Tuesday. Apart from the three new cases reported from New Delhi, Telangana, and Rajasthan, last month, three cases were recorded in Kerala -- who have now recovered and been discharged from the hospital.