Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi, Telangana report first cases; thousands screened

Two more positive cases of the novel coronavirus — one in Delhi and another in Telangana -were reported, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. The person from Delhi had travelled to Italy, it said adding he is being diagnosed at RML hospital. The other person with the coronavirus infection has a travel history to Dubai, the ministry added. 

The number of deaths globally in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak crossed 3,000 on Monday, as China reported 42 more deaths. The total number of confirmed Coronavirus cases worldwide is around 80,000 now.

The new fatalities were all in the virus epicentre Hubei province of China, the National Health Commission said. In China, the number of reported new cases has gradually been declining and there were only six confirmed new infections outside Hubei. However, South Korea today reported 476 new Coronavirus cases, taking its national tally to 4,212, while the US reported its second death from the virus. Infections have nearly doubled in the past 48 hours in Italy, Europe’s worst-hit country.

India, too, is facing the brunt of the disease as the outbreak’s impact on manufacturing in China has left Indian companies scrambling for options. While airlifting raw materials from China is a measure that some firms are now considering, others are looking at neighbouring countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand for their sourcing requirements.

The equity markets have already seen an erosion of $8 trillion in market value (from February 21 to 28). Most global stocks have tumbled as the epidemic has triggered a flight to safety among investors. In India, the Sensex and Nifty crashed nearly 4 per cent on Friday — the biggest single-day fall since 2015.