Coronavirus Outbreak: 1 more suspected case in Agra, govt deploys additional officials

The government had earlier confirmed “some cases of community transmission”, which makes India part of a small group of countries, including China, Japan, Italy and South Korea, where community transmission of the virus has taken place.

“All the 330 contacts of various positive cases at Delhi, Ghaziabad and Agra are in fine health. Six of them are admitted at Safdarjung Hospital, two at Agra district hospital, and the rest, 322, under home quarantine. The seven contacts of a Ghaziabad traveller are under home quarantine,” the health department said.

With the latest suspected case also from Agra, State Surveillance Officer Vikasendu Agarwal said that the state health department has deployed a team of 40 officers to manage the situation there in addition to a three-member team of Epidemic Intelligence Services officers from Delhi deployed at the control room at Agra Chief Medical Officer (CMO) office.

Infrared thermometers have already been made available to teams deployed at the Taj Mahal and sensitization drive at Agra, covering houses in an area of 3 km radius from where the confirmed cases were found, is expected to be completed by Monday, the bulletin said.

Agarwal said that other than the King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, testing for coronavirus has been made available at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, from Sunday.

According to the government, 3,014 travellers from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and tracked by surveillance units to date, and all have been placed under surveillance. A total of 666 travellers are being tracked, of which 657 travellers are under home isolation, six are symptomatic at present and admitted at various hospitals — 4 at Siddharthnagar, 1 Hathras and 1 at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

The condition of all of them is reported to be stable, it added.

“Moreover, 1,796 travellers have completed 28 days of observation after coming back from China. The UP government has cross-notified 552 travellers to other states and details of 26 travellers have been shared with concerned authorities for international cross-notification,” it added.