Delhi man with travel history to Thailand, Malaysia tests positive for coronavirus

New Delhi, March 6

A man from Delhi with a travel history to Thailand and Malaysia has tested positive for COVID19, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India to 31, health ministry officials said on Friday.

The latest case is the third in Delhi.

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"One suspected COVID19 case has been confirmed as positive. The patient is from Delhi. He has a travel history to Thailand and Malaysia. He is stable and being monitored. The total number of confirmed cases in India now stands at 31," a health ministry official said.

A health official said seven family members his family have been quarantined at their residence in west Delhi.

"The family of the patient comprising his wife, parents, brother, sister-in-law and their two kids has been home quarantined. Their samples have been taken for testing," the Delhi government health official said.

The office of the patient, who has been shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital for treatment, is in Gurgaon, but he operated from his residence.

"The patient, his wife, brother and sister-in-law worked from home," the official said, adding that they are trying to trace the other people the patient came in contact with.

According to the ministry's latest advisory, all international passengers irrespective of their nationality are mandated to undergo a universal medical screening.

Adequate screening measures have been put in place and nine more airports have been added to the existing 21, bringing the total number to 30 airports where screening of passengers is being carried out.

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A day-long national-level training programme on COVID-19 has also been organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The training programme is being attended by 280 health officials from all states and hospitals of the railways, defence and paramilitary forces.

The 30 other positive cases include a 45-year-old man from Delhi's Mayur Vihar and six of his relatives from Agra whom he had recently visited. Another is a Paytm employee who works in Gurgaon and lives in west Delhi. They are all being treated at the Safdarjung hospital.

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A middle-aged man from Ghaziabad, who tested positive for the virus, is being treated at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in the national capital. A 24-year-old man from Hyderabad, who has also tested positive for coronavirus, has been isolated.

Besides, 16 members of a tourist group from Italy and their Indian guide have been found infected by the virus.

While one Italian man and his wife are being treated at Jaipur's SMS hospital, 14 members of the group and their Indian guide, who were quarantined at the ITBP camp in Chhawla, have been admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

The total figure of positive cases includes the first three reported from Kerala last month. All the three persons have been discharged following recovery.

Meanwhile, in a suspected coronavirus case, a man from Raipur, who returned to India from Kenya through Dubai, has been put under home quarantine. — PTI