Coronavirus Testing Facility Likely At Mumbai Hospital After 3 Cases Reported

After three novel coronavirus cases were reported in India, the Maharashtra government is mulling to set up a testing facility at Kasturba Hospital to reduce the burden on Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) which is currently handling such samples from across the country. Out of the 104 samples tested till Sunday, three have been tested positive.  

"The plan is being discussed to share some load of NIV. The institute is getting swab samples from across the country for testing of novel coronavirus infection. If a similar testing facility is set up in Mumbai, it will minimise the waiting period," the senior state health official said.

More and more samples are being received for testing at NIV, hence it is better to set up an additional examination facility in Mumbai at the earliest, the official said.

“Health officials have communicated their views to higher authorities about setting up a coronavirus testing facility in Mumbai. We will come to know about it in the coming days,” she added.

Coronavirus death count rises to 425

The death count in China’s novel coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 425 with the number of confirmed cases crossing over 20,438, China’s national authorities announced on Tuesday. The coronavirus death count has surpassed the toll from 2002-03 SARS outbreak. Almost all the deaths are in Hubei Province which showed a sharp increase with a near 3,000 new confirmed cases.

The World Health Organization said the number of cases will keep growing because tests are pending on thousands of suspected cases.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, presiding over a special meeting of the country’s top Communist Party body for the second time since the crisis started, said “we have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.”

China imposed a lockdown on a major city far from the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have banned foreign nationals from visiting if they have been in China recently, and they have also warned their own citizens against travelling there.

China has opened a new hospital built in 10 days, infused cash into tumbling financial markets and further restricted people's movement in hopes of containing the rapidly spreading virus and its escalating impact.