The number of the novel coronavirus cases went up to 125 in India on Tuesday even as new patients and deaths due to Covid-19 were reported across the globe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on all countries to ramp up their testing programs as the best way to slow the advance of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have a simple message to all countries – test, test, test,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva.
US health officials said Monday that the first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against the new coronavirus has begun in Seattle, raising hopes in the global fight against the disease.
But it may be another year to 18 months before it becomes available, once it has passed more trial phases to prove it works and is safe.
There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments against the coronavirus disease, known as Covid-19, which has infected more than 175,000 people across the world since it was first identified in China in late December.
Here is the latest on the novel coronavirus in India and the world:
* UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait added to the list of high-risk countries requiring compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days
* India prohibits the travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom with effect from March 18.
* Travel of passengers from Afghanistan, Philippines, Malaysia to India also prohibited with immediate effect. No flight shall take off from these countries to India after 3pm India time. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure.
* Centre advised closure of gyms, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres
* People also advised practising social distancing
* Restaurants to ensure handwashing protocol and proper cleanliness of frequently touched surfaces. A minimum one-metre gap between tables and encourage open-air seating
World:
* Four new additions from the African region [2], European region [1] and region of the Americas [1]
* Cases from China no longer documented separately by WHO, as the total number of cases and deaths outside China has overtaken the total number of cases in that country
* Globally: 167,511 confirmed with 13,903 new cases; 6606 deaths and 862 new ones
* China: 81,077 confirmed cases (29 new) and 3218 deaths (14 new)
* Outside of China: 86,434 confirmed (13,874 new) 3388 deaths (848 new) in 151 countries
