All 645 Indians evacuated from Wuhan test negative for coronavirus

Ten other Indians who wanted to return were unable to do so as they could not clear the health screening, the external affairs ministry said

All 645 people evacuated from China’s Wuhan city, who were lodged at the quarantine facilities set up by the Army and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in and around Delhi, have tested negative for coronavirus, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

It said as of February 6, 138,750 from 1,265 flights had been screened for the nCoV illness but no new case has been detected. India has reported three confirmed cases from Kerala. Ten other Indians who wanted to return were unable to do so as they could not clear the health screening, the external affairs ministry said. India ‘can look into’ evacuating Pakistanis.

The ministry also said India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province “if such a situation arises” and resources are available.

Death toll climbs to 564

The Chinese mainland, so far, has seen 563 deaths because of coronavirus infection, and 28,018 confirmed cases. In addition, Hong Kong has had 22 cases, including one death.

In Japan, 10 more people on a cruise ship off its coast have tested positive for the new coronavirus, local media said, raising the number of infections detected on the boat to 20. Japanese authorities have tested 273 people among the approximately 3,700 passengers and crew on the ship after a man who got off the boat last month in Hong Kong tested positive for the new strain.

Whistle-blower doctor dead

Also, the Chinese doctor, reprimanded by police after warning colleagues about the disease emerging in Wuhan, has died after falling ill, said a person familiar with the matter.

China’s diplomatic protests

Meanwhile, China has lodged diplomatic protests with countries whose airlines have cancelled flights to its cities alleging that they are spreading panic in the wake of deadly coronavirus. Several international airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have cancelled flights to China over fears of the virus spreading across the world, a move which Beijing described against the WHO guidelines.