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

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday said "we have discussed with Delhi Government to prepare for isolation wards, quarantine facilities, availability of doctors, contact tracing and other precautions, if the cases increase."

Global oil demand is set to contract in 2020 for the first time in more than a decade as global economic activity stalls due to the coronavirus, the International Energy Agency said on Monday.

The sharp downward revision in demand expectations came as oil prices dropped by more than a quarter and were set for their biggest one-day fall in 29 years after Saudi Arabia ignited an crude price war in the market.

The energy watchdog said it expected oil demand to be 99.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, lowering its annual forecast by almost 1 million bpd and signalling a contraction of 90,000 bpd, the first time demand will have fallen since 2009.

With the Asia-Pacific zone suffering the highest impact with passenger traffic down 24% in Q1, the Airports Council International (ACI) has said in a statement that it could lose 3 billion dollars in revenue due to the covid-19 outbreak.

After a NASA employee tested positive for covid-19, Nasa has told its employees at Ames Research Center in California to work from home. "We believe the exposure at the center has been limited, but out of an abundance of caution... Ames Research Center will temporarily go to a mandatory telework status until further notice," the agency told in a statement accessed by Reuters.

During the meeting with L-G Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, union health minister stressed on the need for contact tracing and community surveillance to contain coronavirus outbreak.

.@drharshvardhan stressed on coordinated action between all concerned depts, agencies etc., for activities such as contact tracing & comunity surveillance; hospital mangt; identification of isolation wards; adequate PPE, masks; & risk communication for mass awareness. https://t.co/gxRgwXeUNA

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

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan and L-G Anil Baijal meet to discuss measures to contain coronavirus outbreak.

Delhi: Meeting underway between Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal over #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/mwVURkuaRz

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2020

25 students from J-K who were stranded in Iran have landed in Srinagar airport.

S Jaishankar, according to PTI, had met the families of a few stranded children earlier.

15 people in Japan have died from the covid-19 infection.

43 people in India have been infected by covid-19. 7 people in Uttar Pradesh are infected. A minor from Kerala was reported positive for the virus today.

The Health Ministry said three cases have been reported today. 1 case each from Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi have been reported.

Women devotees in face mask and armed with hand sanitizers celebrated the festival. LDF government decided to go ahead with the festival after asking feverish and individuals with flu to avoid large gatherings, according to PTI.

ANI tweeted that Sanjeeva Kumar, Special Secretary (Health), Union Health Ministry has confirmed that there are 42 cases of coronavirus infection in the country.

Pakistan has reported 7 cases of coronavirus.

400 under surveillance in Satwari and Sarwal areas of Jammu. Anganwadi centers in these areas closed till March 31 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In Kerala, authorities of Emirates airways handed over the list of individuals who travelled on the flight carrying people from Iran.

S Suhas told mediapersons gathered that the child had travelled with his parents from Italy via Dubai on March 7.