Covid-19: India reports fourth coronavirus death; bans all int'l commercial flight from Mar 22

New Delhi, March 19 (PTI): India reported its fourth coronavirus death on Thursday as the total number of cases of COVID-19 rose to 173 while most of the states and UT's imposed restrictions, inching towards partial shutdown and India banning landing of all international commercial passenger flights from March 22 for a week.

The Union health ministry said the fourth person to die in Punjab after getting coronavirus was an elderly and had co-morbid conditions like diabetes, cardiac ailments.

There were more than 20 fresh cases in last 24 hours with Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh reporting their first COVID-19 patients on early Thursday.

As the virus continued to spread its tentacles across India, several parts, including Kashmir valley headed towards a virtual lockdown with the administration restricting movement of people in several parts and banning all public transport in Srinagar city.

Punjab and the national capital also inched towards virtual shutdown. While the Punjab government announced suspension of public transport services from Friday midnight and restricting public gatherings to less than 20 besides deciding to close down marriage palaces, hotels, restaurants, banquets and dining places, except home delivery services and takeaways in the entire state.

The Kejriwal government in Delhi also announced shutting down of restaurants but said that takeaway and home delivery services will continue.

"Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has asked all government departments, autonomous bodies and PSUs to segregate activities and suspend non-essential services," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said at a press conference.

Non-essential government services will be discontinued from Friday, he added.

Social, cultural and political gatherings with more than 20 people are not allowed across the national capital to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, he said.

As part of its efforts to detect and prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed over 8,000 lives globally and infected more than two lakh, the government banned all international commercial passenger aircraft from landing in the country from March 22 to March 29.

Moreover, the Central government has requested states to enforce work for home for private sector employees, except for those working in emergency and essential services.

"State governments shall issue appropriate directions so that all citizens above 65 (other than for medical assistance) except for public representatives or government servants or medical professionals are advised to remain at home," the government statement noted.

"No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall be allowed to land in India from March 22, 2020 for one week," the government statement said.

"Similarly, all children below 10 should be advised to stay at home and not to venture out," it added.

"States are being requested to enforce work for home for private sector employees except those working in emergency/essential services," the statement added.

While the Indian Railways decided to suspend all concessional tickets except for patients, students and those in the Divyangjan category from the midnight of March 20 till further notice to discourage unnecessary travel, IndiGo announced pay cuts for senior employees, including of its

CEO who would take the highest cut of 25 per cent amid the novel coronavirus pandemic that has hit the aviation industry hard.

The total tally of 169 include 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Italy, 3 from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

The figure also includes four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab so far.

Delhi has reported 12 positive cases which includes one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 17 cases, including one foreigner.

Maharashtra has 45 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 27 cases which include two foreign nationals.

Karnataka has 14 coronavirus patients. The number of cases in Ladakh rose to eight and Jammu and Kashmir four. Telangana has reported six cases which include two foreigners.

Rajasthan has also reported seven cases including that of two foreigners. Tamil Nadu has two cases so far.

Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Pondicherry, Chandigarh and Punjab have reported one case each.

In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners.

In a last minute-decision, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) postponed class 10 and 12 examinations, which were to start from Thursday.

With the class 12 sociology exam scheduled to be held at 2 pm, the announcement was made at 10 am.

The HRD Ministry had on Wednesday ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to postpone their exams till March 31, saying the safety of students and staff were as important as following the exam calendar.

Meanwhile, Mumbai's famed tiffin suppliers, the dabbawalas, said they are suspending their services from Friday till March 31 in view of the coronavirus situation.

In the national capital, the upscale Sunder Nagar market in South Delhi has been closed till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, the traders' body said. It is the first market to shut down in the capital.

Coronavirus: SSC postpones key recruitment exams

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on Thursday postponed its key recruitment examinations as a preventive measure to check the spread of novel coronavirus.

"As a precautionary measure, in view of the emergent situation due to COVID-19, it has been decided by the Commission, in the larger public interest, to postpone the ongoing Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination (Tier-I), 2O19 with effect from March 20, 2020," it said in an order.

Similarly, the Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Quantity Surveying & Contract) Examination (Paper-I) 2019, scheduled to commence from March 30, 2020, has also been postponed, the SSC said.

Fresh schedules for these examinations will be announced in due course, it said.

"Candidates are advised to visit the website of the Commission regularly for updates," the SSC said.

Advise senior citizens, children below 10 years to stay indoors in view coronavirus — Health Min

The Health Ministry on Thursday advised senior citizens and children below the age of 10 years to stay indoors in view of the spread of coronavirus, even as they assured the general public that there was no community transmission of the disease in the country so far.

The ministry also said the department of pharmaceuticals and the ministry of consumer affairs have been asked to take necessary action against anyone charging exorbitant prices for masks, sanitizers and other health-related logistic materials.

"Senior citizens above 65 except for public representatives/govt servants/medical professionals should be advised to remain at home," the ministry said.

Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Dammu Ravi said 201 Indians were evacuated from Iran on Wednesday.

"On March 21 Air India would be going to Rome to bring back students or any Indians stranded there. The flight would return on March 22," said Joint Secretary, Aviation Ministry, Rubina Ali.

The Health Ministry also said there was no community transmission so far in the country and the fourth death reported from Punjab was that of an elderly person who had co-morbid conditions like had diabetes, cardiac issues.

The Health Ministry also said that to discourage unnecessary travel and to prevent the vulnerable category of senior citizens from undertaking unnecessary travels, concessional booking of all tickets except for patients, students and Divyangjan category for unreserved and reserved segment have been suspended form 00:00 hrs of March 20 till further advisory.

India on Thursday announced that it will not allow any international commercial passenger aircraft to land in the country from March 22 to March 29.