Four Indian crew members, who underwent tests on board the coronavirus-stricken cruise, Diamond Princess, have tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of Indians infected on the vessel to 12, the Indian embassy said on Sunday, 23 February.
Ninety-seven more people died in China due to coronavirus, taking the death toll to 2,442, officials said on Sunday, as a team of WHO experts visited the worst-affected Wuhan city in Hubei province.
Elsewhere in Japan, a woman who tested negative and disembarked from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship later tested positive, raising questions about the effectiveness of the quarantine measures.
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- Japanese Emperor Naruhito, marking his 60th birthday on Sunday, offered his sympathy to those affected by the new virus
- South Korea reported two additional deaths from coronavirus and 123 more cases on Sunday, and raised its coronavirus alert level to ‘highest’
- North Korea has cancelled the Pyongyang Marathon due to the coronavirus outbreak, a leading tour company said on Friday
- Israel confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus
DGCA Expands Universal Screening of Flight Passengers
An order issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) declared that the universal screening of passengers arriving in flights has been expanded to those from Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, in addition to those from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.
South Korea Raises Coronavirus Alert Level to 'Highest': President
South Korea is raising its alert level on the new coronavirus to the "highest", President Moon Jae-in said Sunday, in the face of a sudden spike in the number of infections, AFP reported.
"The COVID-19 incident faces a grave turning point," Moon said following a government meeting on the virus. "The government will raise the alert level to the highest level."
Four Indians on Board Cruise Ship Test Positive, Total Number of Infected Indians Rises to 12: Embassy
Four Indian crew members, who underwent tests for the coronavirus along with others still on board the cruise ship moored off the Japan coast, have tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of Indians infected with the virus on the vessel to 12, the Indian embassy said on Sunday, 23 February, as per PTI reports.
Passengers showing no signs of the deadly disease started deboarding the ship, Diamond Princess, after the quarantine period ended last week.
"Unfortunately, results received as of 1200 JST (Japan Standard Time) include 4 Indian crew members having tested positive," the Indian embassy tweeted. Earlier, eight Indians tested positive for the virus.
"All 12 Indians are responding well to treatment," the mission said.