NE NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR, MARCH 20
Two more persons tested positive for coronavirus infection in Gujarat on Friday evening, taking the number of such cases in the state to seven, officials said. Gujarat recorded its first coronavirus cases on Thursday.
Health authorities on Friday morning announced the detection of three more cases.
In the evening, two more cases were added, one each in Ahmedabad and Vadodara, taking the total to seven.
“There are two more positive cases of Coronavirus in Gujarat. Total cases till now seven,” tweeted the state Health and Family Welfare Department.
The patients from Ahmedabad travelled from Finland and New York. The Rajkot patient, coming in from Mecca, landed in Mumbai and then travelled to Rajkot by train.
The case from Surat is a person who returned from the UK, while the one from Vadodara had travelled to Spain.
Some of them were initially kept on ventilator and later taken off. Reports indicate that all five are now stable.
“Local administrations across the State have been alerted and we are taking all precautionary measures. The infected persons have traveled overseas recently. We are keeping a close check on all persons coming to Gujarat,” the state’s deputy chief minister, Nitin Patel, said on Friday.
We are starting Voluntary Family Quarantine where entire family of a person coming from overseas agrees to stay at Home for 14 days@AmdavadAMC will deliver ALL essential items, ration, masks, sanitizer, medicines etc free at the home of such families #HelpUsToHelpYou pic.twitter.com/v3y2EZAxX8
— Vijay Nehra (@vnehra) March 20, 2020
While five have been declared positive, the state government now awaits results for 23 more cases, Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary for health in Government of Gujarat on Friday said. “Notably, no one has been kept on ventilator and their condition is stable. Most of the patients are asymptomatic,” Ravi added. While the Vadodara resident had arrived from Spain, the two women from Ahmedabad had travleed to Finland and the US.
The state has the capacity to carry out 200 tests per day, as of now. Meanwhile, the state government is advising home quarantine for people returning to India from foreign nations.
GSRTC, BRTS, city buses to go off roads because of Janta curfew, says Vijay Rupani
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday said no government buses will ply on Sunday in view of the ‘Janata curfew’ announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The move, announced by the PM during a national address on Thursday, seeks to keep people indoors between 7 am and 9 pm on Sunday in a bid to stall the spread of the novel coronavirus.
State transport buses, those being operated under the BRTS mechanism, as well as city buses will be off the roads in the state on Sunday, the CM said.
“There is Janta curfew on Sunday in Gujarat. Services of ST, BRTS and city buses will remain shut during Sunday. We all need to observe Janta curfew on that day to contain the spread of the virus,” he said.
The state has reported seven Covid-19 cases, including five on Friday.
“People who have recently returned from abroad need to undergo home quarantine voluntarily. Children and elderly people should not go out. People should avoid going out unless it is absolutely necessary. We must keep one-meter distance with others while we are out,” he said in a video message.
“We all need to strictly follow PM Modi’s appeal of Janta curfew on Sunday by remaining in our homes between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. This is in the interest of the people. I am confident that we will be able to stop the spread of the virus with our collective efforts,” said Rupani.
The state government has already ordered the closure of schools, colleges, tuition classes, gyms, water parks, multiplexes, party plots and other public places, like temples and the well-patronised State of Unity, to combat the outbreak.
Ahmedabad civic chief appeals for citizen’s cooperation
Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra said on Friday: “We are starting Voluntary Family Quarantine where entire family of a person coming from overseas agrees to stay at home for 14 days. AMC will deliver all essential items like ration, masks, sanitiser, medicines, etc. free at the home of such families.”
Speaking to the media, Nehra said that 492 persons are kept in home observation while 450 have been quarantined for 14 days. The civic body has doubled the fine for spitting from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and all pan gallas have been ordered to close the shops till March 31. During this period, the provision stores will not be allowed to sell pan-masalas.
All recreation facilities like parks and gardens, including the Sabarmati Riverfront, will remain closed on Sunday. There will also be no BRTS, AMTS services on Sunday owing to Janta Curfew.
Further, all citizens are requested to refrain from visiting the civic centres or any of the AMC offices till the situation improves and instead use the digital services to get their work done.
Meanwhile, in Rajkot city, the civic body and the police commissioner have urged the public to go digital and avoid visiting their offices or police stations.
No train to begin journey from Saturday midnight to 10 pm on Sunday
No passenger train will originate from any railway station in the country from midnight to 10 pm on Sunday in view of the “Janta curfew” announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said on Friday. They added that mail and express trains will also stop services from 4 am on Sunday.
All suburban train services will be reduced to a bare minimum as well.
