India recorded its second novel coronavirus fatality as a woman in the capital succumbed to the illness late Friday.
The Union health ministry announced India has 82 COVID-19 patients, including 19 in Kerala, 14 in Maharashtra and 10 in Uttar Pradesh, as of 10.15 pm on Friday.
Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana were among several states who announced they were shutting down their educational institutions.
Meanwhile, Kerala government launched an app to disseminate the latest information on the virus outbreak.
A 76-year-old man who died two days ago in Karnataka was confirmed on Thursday as India’s first COVID-19 fatality.
Here are today’s updates:
10.31 pm: Delhi reports first coronavirus death
A 69-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus infection has died in Delhi, PTI reported quoting Health Ministry and Delhi government officials.
This is the second death due to COVID-19 reported in India.
9.09 pm: Tested negative for coronavirus, Bolsonaro says
8. 52pm: No confirmation on results of Brazil president Bolsonaro’s test
The Guardian reports: “It appear that although Bolsonaro’s initial test has come back positive, he is still awaiting the results of a second, definitive test.”
His son Eduardo Bolsonaro refuted reports that said the Brazilian president had tested positive.
8.38 pm: Canadian Parliament suspended
All of Canada’s political parties have agreed to suspend Parliament until April 20. The government will still have the authority to spend public funds during the break to respond to the escalating crisis.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is currently in self-isolation after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19.
8.25 pm: India declares masks and hand sanitisers essential commodities
7.21 pm: Kerala govt reports 2 new cases in the state
At the state government’s daily press conference, CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed that two more patients had tested positive since the last update on Thursday, a foreigner from UK and a person in Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala now has 19 active coronavirus cases, excluding the three people who wre discharged earlier this month.
6 pm: Malls, cinema halls to remain closed in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said all malls, cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad will be closed till 30 March, according to Livemint.
Wherever possible, companies should allow employees to work from home in view of coronavirus threat, he said.
5.17pm: 81 confirmed cases in India, says health ministry
There are 81 coronavirus patients in India as of 5pm on March 13, the Union health ministry has said.
This includes 16 in Kerala, 14 in Maharashtra and 10 in Uttar Pradesh, the ministry says at press conference.
The external affairs ministry said it plans more evacuations of Indians in Italy and Iran tomorrow.
4.55pm: Person with US travel history tests positive in Pune
A total of 10 patients have been reported in the city so far.
4.45 pm: Premier League and English Football League suspend all games till April 3
The Premier League and English Football League have suspended all games until April 3 as social-distancing measures to tackle coronavirus are ramped up.
Championship, League One, and League Two fixtures will all be affected by the postponement, which was announced on Friday morning.
Huffpost UK has the details.
4.36 pm: Iran state TV says death toll has risen by 85 to 514
The total number of deaths in Iran from the coronavirus outbreak has risen by 85 to 514, a health ministry official said on state TV on Friday, Reuters reported.
The official said the total number of infections had increased by more than 1,000 in the past 24 hours, to 11,364.
4.25 pm: Trump claims US will begin large scale testing soon
US President Donald Trump tweeted that coronavirus testing in the United States will soon happen on a large scale, but did not provide any details on how that would be accomplished.
4.16 pm: France closing all educational institutions from next week
French president Emmanuel Macron has announced France will close all creches, schools and universities from next week. Describing the outbreak as France’s biggest public health crisis in a century, Macron also urged employers to let staff work from home, and said that the elderly and people with health conditions should stay indoors.
HuffPost France reports that the decision comes after Macron had said as recently as March 6 that closing schools was not "tenable".
3.59 pm: Rome's Catholic churches ordered closed in unprecedented move
Rome’s Catholic churches have been ordered closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, in a move believed to be unprecedented in modern times.
The decree by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Pope Francis’ vicar for the Rome archdiocese, will remain in effect until at least April 3. Previously, only Masses had been cancelled because of the outbreak. The decree also dispenses Catholics in the archdiocese from their obligation to attend Mass on Sunday’s and Holy Days.
HuffPost Italy has a report on everything that is now closed under strict new rules in the country:
3.42 pm: Two more test positive in Nagpur
Divisional Commissioner of Nagpur says two more people have tested positive in the city. Maharashtra now has 16 coronavirus patients.
3.26 pm: Australian official tests positive for coronavirus
The New York Times reports that an Australian official who met with Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump in Washington last week has tested positive for coronavirus.
3.08 pm: BCCI suspends IPL till April 15
2.57 pm: Haryana closes colleges and universities for till March 31
2.52pm: Karnataka shutting down pubs, malls, theatres, wedding and sports functions for a week
The state currently has five coronavirus patients and reported India’s first fatality on Thursday.
2.48pm: Tokyo postpones opening ceremony for Olympic aquatics center
The Tokyo metropolitan government said in a statement that it would postpone the opening ceremony of the Olympic aquatics center due to the coronavirus outbreak. The opening had been planned for March 22, Reuters reported.
2.36pm: Happy no one got virus from me, says India’s first coronavirus patient
The Kerala student from Wuhan, who was India’s first coronavirus patient spoke to Malayala Manorama after she had fully recovered.
“I’m very happy that no one contracted the virus from me,” she said.
2.33 pm: Indian embassy in Milan says it is reaching out to students stranded at Italy’s airports
2.06 pm: Noida employee tests positive, people who came in contact with him quarantined
A 46-year-old man, an employee of a private firm in Noida Phase 2, tested positive on Friday. Indian Express reported. Nearly 707 employees who came in contact with the victim are now under observation.
Officials told Express th patient, who is from Delhi, had traveled to European countries and began showing symptoms after returning to India.
His family members are being tested for covid-19.
1.38 pm: Iran plane with evacuated Indians lands in Mumbai
An Iran Air flight carrying Indians stranded in coronavirus-hit Iran, landed at the airport in Mumbai on Friday afternoon, an official told PTI.
The passengers would be taken to Jaisalmer on an Air India aircraft, another official said.
A defence spokesperson had said yesterday around 120 Indians would be brought to Jaisalmer and quarantined at an Army facility there.
1.23pm: Modi tweets SAARC nations should discuss coronavirus strategy via video conference
PM Narendra Modi tweeted: “I would like to propose that the leadership of SAARC nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight Coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy. Together, we can set an example to the world, and contribute to a healthier planet.”
1.14 pm: Japan approves emergency powers for PM
Japan’s parliament has approved a bill giving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emergency powers that will let him close schools, halt large gatherings and requisition medical supplies as Japan tries to slow the coronavirus outbreak.
Abe would have to declare a state of emergency in order to use the new powers, Reuters reports.
Japan has almost 1,400 coronavirus cases including about 697 from a cruise ship, according to public broadcaster NHK. Twenty-six people have died, including seven from the cruise liner.
12.43 pm: No large gatherings allowed in Delhi
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia says Delhi government has banned gatherings such as large seminars and conferences. District magistrates will monitor the compliance of these orders.
12.32pm: Delhi prohibits sports gatherings including IPL matches
12.18 pm: No new cases in Delhi, says health minister Satyendra Jain
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said no new cases had been reported in the capital. There are currently six patients being treated in Delhi.
He asked people to continue avoiding large gathering for the month of March.
12.03 pm: Odisha closes all all educational institutions till March 31.
Odisha Naveen Patnaik has announced that all educational institutions in the state will remain closed till March 31, except for those holding examinations. Cinema halls, swimming pools, and gyms are also to be closed during this time.
11.01 am: Kerala govt’s coronavirus app
The Kerala government has launched a mobile app for updates and information regarding the novel coronavirus. The is app named GoK Direct and has been developed to check fake news being spread about the disease, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said.
Even people whose phones don’t have internet will be able to get alerts.
10.42 am: Kerala MLA’s wife under quarantine in Italy
CPI MLA Muhammed Muhassin’s wife Shafaq Kasim, a research scholar at Italy’s Camerino University, has been quarantined in Italy
“I had contacted the Indian Embassy in Rome before things got this bad pestering them to take steps to fly Indians in Italy back to India immediately,” Muhassin told Onmanorama. “They kept telling me they would do it if there are enough numbers and now see what has happened.
Muhassin said his wife had one month of ration and that he was in touch with her through frequent video calls.
10.22 am: Trading resumes on stock market
Domestic stock trading resumed after a 45-minute halt. Stock exchanges paused trading for 45 minutes after both Sensex and Nifty plunged over 10 per cent, hitting their lower circuit limits, within the first 15 minutes of opening of the session.
10.13 am: Nepal suspends permits to climb Everest
AFP reports Nepal has suspended permits to climb Everest, closing off the world’s biggest mountain a day after China halted access from its side.
“The government has decided to suspend all spring expeditions and scrap permits for the time being. The decision can be reviewed after analysing the global scenario over the coming month,” Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation told the news agency.
9.57 am: Karnataka SRTC suspends flybus service from Bengaluru airport
Asianet reports the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has suspended Flybus service from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh with immediate effect until April 1.
9.43 am: 112 people quarantined at Delhi’s ITBP facility to be released today
All 112 people admitted to an ITBP quarantine facility in Delhi for over a fortnight have tested negative for coronavirus and are expected to be released on Friday, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police spokesperson told PTI.
All of them were evacuated last month from Wuhan in China.
“After 14 days of quarantine at ITBP facility in Chhawla, 112 inmates, including 36 foreign nationals, have tested negative for coronavirus. Today is the 16th day of their quarantine,” the official said.
9.32 am: Trading halted as Sensex falls by over 3,000 points
Indian stock markets halted trading for 45 minutes as Sensex plunged 3,091 points and Nifty was down by 10%.
9.12 am: Google employee in Bengaluru tests positive
A Google employee in Bengaluru has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, TechCrunch reported. The company has asked all the other employees in that office to work from home on Friday and those who were in close contact with the employee have been asked to quarantine themselves.
“We can confirm that an employee from our Bangalore office has been diagnosed with COVID-19. They were in one of our Bangalore offices for a few hours before developing any symptoms,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
9.03 am: Schools closed in Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh
All schools in Uttarakhand and in Chhattisgarh have been closed till March 31 in view of the coronavirus threat, according to orders issued on Thursday.
In Uttarakhand, schools where board examinations are underway will remain open till the exams conclude. Chattisgarh schools will also hold exams as per schedule in these educational institutes
8.51 am: All test reports in Madhya Pradesh have come back negative so far
All 23 persons in Madhya Pradesh whose medical reports have been received so far have tested negative for the coronavirus, an official said on Thursday.
As many as 9,387 persons with travel history to affected countries were screened at airports in the state. Of these, 690 persons were examined for suspected symptoms of the virus, additional director of the health department Dr Veena Sinha said.
Samples of 27 persons were sent to the laboratory. “Of these, reports of 23 persons have been received. All of them came out negative. Reports of four persons are still awaited,” she said.
8.43 am: Lone Telangana patient fully recovered, no new cases reported in state
The lone COVID-19 patient in Telangana has fully recovered and would be discharged soon, state Health Minister E Rajender said on Thursday.
No fresh positive case of the coronavirus has been reported in the state, an official release quoted him as saying.
Results of 12 samples (cumulatively) are awaited for test results, according to an official media bulletin on COVID-19.
8.35 am: Modi and Boris Johnson discuss coronavirus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to discuss the coordinated international efforts required to tackle the spread of deadly coronavirus, Downing Street said in a statement.
Modi expressed concern over UK Health Minister Nadine Dorries testing positive for coronavirus, and wished her a speedy recovery.
8.26 am: 120 Indians evacuated from Iran reach Rajasthan today
About 120 Indians, being evacuated from Iran in an Air India flight, will reach Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on Friday and will be quarantined at an Army facility, a defence spokesperson said on Thursday.
“They will be quarantined at an Indian Army facility created under the aegis of Southern Command. The patients will be transferred from the airport post their initial screening to the quarantine facility under escort of civil administration,” defence spokesperson Col Sombit Ghosh told PTI.
He said that another batch of approximately 250 people, to be airlifted from Iran on March 15, will also be quarantined at the Army facility in Jaisalmer.
8.17 am: Disneyland, Disney World to close
Disney World and Disneyland are closing down as the coronavirus pandemic persists, Disney officials announced on Thursday.
Theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort will close after Sunday through the end of the month, according to ABC News, which is owned by Disney. Disney Cruise Line will suspend all new departures beginning Saturday through the end of this month.
8.08 am: Indian Embassy sets up helplines in the US
The Indian Embassy in the US has set up 24-hour helplines to address questions on the recent travel restrictions implemented by India to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
8.04 am: Lucknow, Kolkata ODIs to be held in empty stadiums, says BCCI
The remaining two ODIs between India and South Africa will be played in empty stadiums in Lucknow and Kolkata due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the BCCI confirmed on Thursday.
The matches are scheduled to be held in March 15 (Lucknow) and March 18 (Kolkata).
7.55 am: Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta tests positive for coronavirus
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus, the Premier League club have announced.
The whole first-team squad will now be placed in self-isolation.
The club are now trying to trace any other people who may have had contact with Arteta. Read more here
7.43 am: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in self-isolation after wife tests positive
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in self-isolation as his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement Thursday that Grégoire Trudeau had recently returned from a speaking engagement in London, U.K. She began “exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms including a low fever late last night,” it read. It noted that she had been tested for the virus and was in self-isolation at home.
The prime minister is exhibiting no symptoms himself, the statement said.
7.39 am: The cases in India
The total number of 74 patients in India includes 16 Italians and one Canadian. The figure is inclusive of three patients from Kerala who were discharged last month following recovery.
Kerala has recorded 17 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month.
Delhi has reported six patients and Uttar Pradesh 10. Karnataka has four patients, Maharashtra 11 and Ladakh three.
Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one patient each.
7.33 am: Over 30,000 people under observation
Lav Aggarwal, the Joint Secretary in the health ministry, said in his press briefing that 1,500 people who came in contact with the 74 infected people were under rigorous observation while over 30,000 people across the country were under community surveillance.
7. 29 am MEA advises against holding the IPL
The External Affairs Ministry has advised against holding this year’s IPL edition in wake of the coronavirus scare, but left it to the organisers to take a final call on it.
This was stated by MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi who has been appointed as the nodal officer to coordinate efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, PTI reported.
7.17 am: Air India flights to Kuwait cancelled till April 30
On Thursday, Air India on Thursday decided to cancel all its flights to Kuwait till April 30 and curtail services to various other countries, including Spain, France and Sri Lanka.
On Wednesday, the airline had announced temporary suspension of its services to Rome, Milan and Seoul.
“The existing curtailment of services to Seoul (South Korea), Rome and Milan (Italy) too has been extended till April 30,” an official told PTI.
The Karnataka patient
The 76-year-old, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, had died on Tuesday night. Officials said the patient had severe co-morbidities such as history of hypertension, diabetes and asthma and appendicitis.
State Joint Director (Communicable Diseases) B G Prakash Kumar said all protocols were followed for disposal of the body.
“The body is disinfectants completely and disposed as per the Government of India guidelines,” he added when asked to elaborate on the protocols.
He said the Telangana government has also been informed as the man had gone to a private hospital there earlier.
While announcing the death of the man, the authorities had said the exact cause his death was being ascertained.
Sriramulu had on Wednesday had said there was no confirmation that the death was due to coronavirus and test reports of his samples were awaited.
He said the person had gone to Saudi Arabia in January end and came back on February 29.
On his return, he was down with fever and took treatment at a private hospital. Later, on the advice of doctors or family he had gone to Hyderabad, the minister had said.
A senior health department official had said the man died on the way back from Hyderabad around 11 pm on Tuesday.
The state has already reported five confirmed COVID-19 cases. A 26-year-old man who returned from Greece tested positive for coronavirus, making it the fifth case, the health department said on Thursday.