Coronavirus : 8 persons tested positive in Pune, 2 in Mumbai

Mumbai/Pune, March 11, 2020 : The total of number persons found positive with Coronavirus has reached 10 in the state, which includes eight persons in Pune and two in Mumbai.

Pune District Collector Naval Kishor Ram said first a couple who returned from Dubai, was found positive. Later their daughter and a taxi driver who ferried them from Mumbai to Pune, and another person who had gone for foreign trip with the couple, were found positive. Today three others from that trip were detected positive. All of them are undergoing treatment and their condition is stable.

In Mumbai, Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray told mediapersons that the total number of positive cases has reached 10 in the state which includes 8 in Pune and 2 in Mumbai.

“The condition of Corona patients found in the state is stable and they have been kept under observation. People should not get panicked on the backdrop of Corona. All precautions are taken at the health departments, airports, ports and railway stations. People should avoid gathering at the public programs. Policy decision will be taken regarding schools, colleges and religious programs. The expert at the private hospitals should prepare a standard operating protocol (SOP) with immediate effect so that all can follow it. Gram Sabha should be held at villages for creating awareness.” These instructions were given by chief minister Mr Uddhav Thackeray.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that all the requirements including equipments necessary for combating with the situation can be purchased from the District Planning expenditure. He asked the administrators to hold press conference daily and give the information to the media.

Chief Minister Thackeray said that the Indian government has published the containment plan about prevention of Novel Corona virus (COVID-19). He said that the Divisional Commissioner has been directed to enact in accordance to the plan. He also said that the divisional commissioner should take action in coordination with district magistrate and health department and it necessary, other departments can also be pressed into service. The chief minister appealed to the administration to effectively use ST panels, hoardings, television, radio and other media to give important messages for creating awareness among the people of the state and giving them the health education. This may include topics like washing hands, prevention to be taken while coughing or sneezing, speaking to people who coughing and sneezing from a distance of three feet and other such messages are important and are required to be disseminated among the people.

Thackeray said that the high risk people, who came into contact with those with Corona positive, should be tested and those with low risk, should be asked to stay at home for 14 days. He said that the test will be performed on the people in the three kilometer area in the vicinity of the Corona positive people. The Chief Minister said that for creating awareness related to Corona virus in the rural areas, the Gram Sabha should be organized on large scale and information about preventive measures should be given to the people. He also said that the union government will be requested to give permission for starting private laboratories for ‘Throat Swab’ testing. He said that the state government will follow up for the cause.

Thackeray also directed that the experts from the private hospitals should prepare a standard operating protocol (SOP) for screening of patients, testing the suspected patients in Laboratories and imparting education to them. He said that they should present such SOP to the public health department. The chief minister urged the tour operators to give information to the government about all the travellers returning from other nations. He said that if anybody is found with symptoms like fever and cough, they should inform the health department and the instructions to such effect has been given to the tourism department, he added.