Coronavirus: PMO reviews India's preparedness

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office on Saturday reviewed India's preparedness to deal with deadly coronavirus amid mounting global concern over increasing number of cases in China, the epicentre of the outbreak and several other countries.

At a meeting chaired by P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Health ministry officials presented an update about response measures being undertaken in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak in China, official sources said. The meeting was held on the instructions of the Prime Minister.

The Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Health Secretary, Civil Aviation Secretary and several other top officials attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, India is understood to have requested China to permit over 250 Indian students stuck in Wuhan, the epicentre of the new SARS-like virus, to leave the city, sources here said.

About 700 Indian students, mostly medical students, are believed to be studying in different universities in Wuhan and its surrounding areas.

Authorities have prevented anyone from leaving Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the heart of the viral outbreak which has so far infected nearly 1,300 people and killed 41 others.

While majority of the Indian students left for home on Chinese New Year holidays, over 250 to 300 students are said to be still in the city and its surrounding areas. Besides the students, the fast spreading virus has become a major worry for their parents back home.

Australia confirmed on Saturday its first four cases of the new coronavirus, becoming the latest country in a growing list to be affected by the illness. One man was being treated in isolation after arriving in Melbourne a week ago from Wuhan. He has pneumonia but is in a stable condition, health officials said. Three others in Sydney who also arrived recently from China had tested positive for the disease and were in isolation in local hospitals.