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| Coronavirus: First death confirmed in India | Coronavirus: First death confirmed in India |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| India has recorded its first death linked to the coronavirus, officials have confirmed. | |
| The 76-year-old man, from the southern state of Karnataka, returned from Saudi Arabia on 29 February after a month-long visit. | The 76-year-old man, from the southern state of Karnataka, returned from Saudi Arabia on 29 February after a month-long visit. |
| People who came in contact with the man, who died on Tuesday, are being traced and quarantined, the state's health minister said. | People who came in contact with the man, who died on Tuesday, are being traced and quarantined, the state's health minister said. |
| India has 81 confirmed cases of the virus, the health ministry says. | |
| The dead man's test results were only made public on Thursday. | The dead man's test results were only made public on Thursday. |
| Officials say he was screened at the airport when he arrived from Saudi Arabia but showed no symptoms at the time. | Officials say he was screened at the airport when he arrived from Saudi Arabia but showed no symptoms at the time. |
| After he developed difficulties last week, he was taken to hospital. | After he developed difficulties last week, he was taken to hospital. |
| India's Supreme Court has said it will only hear urgent cases from Monday, and has restricted the number of people who can enter a courtroom. | |
| The southern state of Karnataka has banned all gatherings including weddings, sports events and conferences for a week as the country attempts to slow the spread of the virus. | The southern state of Karnataka has banned all gatherings including weddings, sports events and conferences for a week as the country attempts to slow the spread of the virus. |
| Malls, movie theatres, pubs and night clubs have also been shut. | Malls, movie theatres, pubs and night clubs have also been shut. |
| "The government will decide on further action after a week following a review," the state's chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced on Friday. | |
| But he said that government offices would continue to function as normal. | But he said that government offices would continue to function as normal. |
| India has taken a number of steps to halt the spread of Covid-19: | India has taken a number of steps to halt the spread of Covid-19: |
| India's health ministry says it was among the first countries in the world to prepare for an outbreak of the respiratory illness, and denied allegations that it was slow in testing suspected cases. | India's health ministry says it was among the first countries in the world to prepare for an outbreak of the respiratory illness, and denied allegations that it was slow in testing suspected cases. |
| "Our surveillance system is strong and we are able to quickly identify any symptomatic patients," RR Gangakhedkar from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told reporters on Thursday. | "Our surveillance system is strong and we are able to quickly identify any symptomatic patients," RR Gangakhedkar from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told reporters on Thursday. |
| However, there are concerns about whether the country will be fully equipped to prevent and treat an outbreak. | However, there are concerns about whether the country will be fully equipped to prevent and treat an outbreak. |
| It would be near impossible for India to force its citizens into mass quarantine and hospitalise people in numbers like China, says the BBC's Soutik Biswas. | It would be near impossible for India to force its citizens into mass quarantine and hospitalise people in numbers like China, says the BBC's Soutik Biswas. |
| Our correspondent says there are also concerns about the country's scanty healthcare data. India has a shoddy record in even recording deaths and disease - only 77% of deaths are registered, and doctors are more likely to get the cause of death wrong than right, according to a study the Toronto-based Centre for Global Research. There is patchy data for flu-related deaths. | Our correspondent says there are also concerns about the country's scanty healthcare data. India has a shoddy record in even recording deaths and disease - only 77% of deaths are registered, and doctors are more likely to get the cause of death wrong than right, according to a study the Toronto-based Centre for Global Research. There is patchy data for flu-related deaths. |
| Rumours, myths and misconceptions spread through social media could also hamper an effective response to the infection. |