Five more persons admitted to RML hospital for possible exposure to novel coronavirus

Five more persons -- four men and one woman -- have been mitted to Centre-run RML hospital for possible exposure to vel coronavirus which has killed 170 people in China and is spreing worldwide. India reported its first case of vel Coronavirus in Kerala on Thursday and patient has been kept in an isolation ward, Union health ministry said.

"A female medical student of a university in Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of outbreak, has tested positive for virus. She is stable and is being monitored closely," it said. government has stepped up its efforts to detect and prevent spre of virus that has killed at least 170 people and infected more than 7,700 in China and has spre to at least 17 countries alrey.

government will evacuate Indians on Friday from Wuhan city. All five persons self-reported to Ram Mahar Lohia hospital, designated to deal with such cases, with respiratory problems and fever, hospital sources said. One of m came Wednesday night while remaining four self-reported to facility on Thursday, y said, ding y are being observed at isolation ward of hospital. ir samples have been sent for testing.

three men kept who were mitted at isolation ward of RML hospital on Monday have tested negative, a Health Ministry official said on Thursday. "ir samples were sent for testing to NIV Pune and y have tested negative," official said.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday reviewed country's preparedness with concerned ministries -- health and family welfare, external affairs, defence, home affairs, civil aviation, information and brocasting, labour and employment, and shipping -- to tackle spre of virus, an official release said. He also did a video conference with chief secretaries of states and UTs, it ded.

During se meetings, it was decided that all those who have come from China after 15 January will be tested for exposure to virus and also lab facilities will be augmented. While six more labs will start functioning from Thursday, including one in AIIMS in Delhi, six more labs will start function by Friday, release said.

Apart from putting measures in place to battle spre at home, government is also getting rey to evacuate its nationals on Friday from China, which continued to scramble to contain spre of dely virus.  Indian embassy in Beijing in a te circulated through social media on Thursday said that preparations are on to evacuate Indians from virus-hit region.

Authorities have been screening patients at 21 airports, ports and borders for possible coronavirus infection and health ministry has urged people to report mselves if y show symptoms of coronavirus such as cold and respiratory distress on 24x7 helpline (011-23978046).

ministry has asked people to refrain from travelling to China and states bordering Nepal -- Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim -- have stepped up vigil.