Coronavirus pandemic threat now 'very real', can still be controlled: WHO

A man from Punjab tested positive for novel coronavirus on Monday evening, taking the total number of infected persons in the country to 44. The Union health ministry confirmed the case.

Out of 44 cases, the first three cases in Kerala, have been discharged after being cured.

Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft has left for Iran, from Hindon Air Force Station, to bring back Indians citizens stuck there amid coronavirus virus.

#CoronaVirusUpdate :
C-17 Flight has departed to #Iran at 20.30 hrs today to bring back Indian citizens.
We have already brought back 890 Indians and other nationals. Waiting for our citizens to come back!#SwasthaBharat @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @asgwilli @MIB_India @PIB_India

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 9, 2020

IAF's C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft was loaded with facilities and items to quarantine the passengers it will bring back from Iran. New agency ANI earlier tweeted photos of the plane.

Ghaziabad: Earlier visuals of Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, going to Iran, being loaded with facilities to quarantine the passengers. The aircraft will land in Tehran at about 2 am and return to India at about 09:30 am tomorrow. https://t.co/BmPP2QAwOl pic.twitter.com/q273AVuPAf

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2020

"All people who came in contact with the infected people were identified and quarantined," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Two residents of Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, who recently returned from China and Iran, showed symptoms of coronavirus but their test results came negative, officials said.

Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK rose from 273 to 319.

Congress party postponed their 'Gandhi Sandesh Yatra', scheduled on March 12, due to coronavirus. Congress was scheduled to start the Yatra on party's 90th anniversary from Ahmedabad and it was to conclude on 6th April in Dandi.

A Hoshiarpur resident, who returned from Italy last week, has been tested positive for coronavirus afflictions, becoming the first such case in Punjab, an official said on Monday, reports PTI.

"The man who returned to Amritsar by an Air India flight from Milan in Italy has tested positive for coronavirus. He had landed at Amritsar International Airport via Delhi on March 4 along with his two other family members," Punjab Principal Secretary (Health) Anurag Aggarwal said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted about the coronavirus, saying "nothing is shut down, life and the economy go on."

So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020

Captain of C-17 Globemaster, the IAF aircraft which is scheduled to fly to Iran to evacuate Indians stranded there, Wing Commander Karan Kapoor on Monday evening gave details of the flight to news agency ANI.

"We plan to depart Hindon Air Force Station at 8:30 pm and land in Tehran at about 2 am.We will depart Tehran at about 4:30 am and land back here at about 09:30 am. Facilities to quarantine the passengers have been set up at Hindon," he said.

The Bengaluru man, who is said to have tested for coronavirus, is a software engineer who travelled from Austin, Texas to New York on Feb 28th and then boarded a Emirates flight to India via Dubai, said Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

"He reached Bengaluru on March 1st. Initially he showed no symptoms but got admitted to Rajiv Gandhi institute of Chest Diseases on March 5th with fever and cough. His wife, child, driver and a colleague have all been quarantined now after test results indicated he was infected, said the minister.

The minister said the state has informed the Centre about the case.

Karnataka Woman and Child Welfare Ministry announces 7-days holiday for Anganwadis in the state: ANI

Fear gripped financial markets around the world Monday as stock prices and bond yields plunge on worries about the effects of a new coronavirus, reports AP.

The most violent drops came from the oil markets, where prices cratered more than 20%. But moves in stocks and bond yields were nearly as breathtaking. In the United States, the S&P 500 plunged 7% in the first few minutes of trading, and losses were so sharp that trading was halted.

Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar said all primary schools in Bengaluru will remain closed from Tuesday till further orders.

A Bengaluru resident tests positive for Coronavirus, ANI quotes Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar. The person has travel history to the USA.

The Union health ministry is yet to confirm the case.