New Delhi, March 7: Three new cases of coronavirus infections were reported in India, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 34, said the government on Saturday. According to Special Secretary (Health) Sanjeeva Kumar, of the three, two cases are from Ladakh with travel history from Iran and one from Tamil Nadu with travel history from Oman. "All three are stable," Kumar told news agency ANI. Coronavirus Scare: Beating Retreat Ceremony at Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab Suspended Till Further Orders to Contain Spread.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation on coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, and action taken so far by various ministries. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and secretaries of concerned ministries attended the meeting. PM Modi was shown a presentation on the current scenario, preparedness and response to COVID-19. Coronavirus Scare in Jammu And Kashmir: Holidays Declared in All Primary Schools in Six Districts.

"PM Modi while complimenting all departments for the work taken up so far, mentioned that India has to be prepared in its response as per the evolving scenario," Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. PM Modi exhorted the officers to identify best practices for COVID-19 management from across the world and within the states and ensure their adoption.

The Prime Minister directed that an immediate exercise be taken up to identify sufficient locations for quarantine and also for critical care provisioning in case the disease spread. Officials were instructed to plan for early testing and evacuation of Indians from Iran. He highlighted the need for advance and adequate planning and timely response as critical for managing this infectious disease from a public health perspective.

Dr Harsh Vardhan emphasized the need for effective coordination with states for timely response. Member, Niti Ayog emphasized the need for increasing surge capacity for hospitalization. The request obtained for evacuation of Indians from Iran was highlighted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 07, 2020 06:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).