New Delhi, March 12: The official count of COVID-19 positive cases in India surged to 73, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement on Thursday. This marks an increase of 13 infected patients as compared to Wednesday, when the Government of India had confirmed 60 positive coronavirus cases. The numbers released by the Health Ministry also includes confirmed cases of foreign nationals living in India.

Coronavirus has so far reached nine Indian states and three Union Territories. The worst-affected among them is Kerala, where 17 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. All the infected patients in the coastal province are Indian nationals. Next on the chart is Haryana, where 14 cases - all foreign nationals - have tested positive. Coronavirus Scare in India: Electronics Sale Down by Rs 1,350 Crore in Two Months as Consumers Avoid Purchase of China-Made Products.

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh recorded 11 cases each, followed by six in Delhi, four in Karnataka, three in Rajasthan and one each in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

State/UT Wise List of COVID Confirmed Cases

S. No. Name of State / UT Total Confirmed cases (Indian National) Total Confirmed cases ( Foreign National )
1 Delhi 6 0
2 Haryana 0 14
3 Kerala 17 0
4 Rajasthan 1 2
5 Telengana 1 0
6 Uttar Pradesh 10 1
7 Union Territory of Ladakh 3 0
8 Tamil Nadu 1 0
9 Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir 1 0
10 Punjab 1 0
11 Karnataka 4 0
12 Maharashtra 11 0
Total number of confirmed cases in India 56 17

The Indian government took a self-quarantine measure on Wednesday, by announcing a suspension of all tourist visas till April 15. The entry for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders has also been barred till the said date. The decision was taken by the Group of Ministers (GoM) in bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus in India.

The move to virtually lock India's borders will have a severe collateral damage, experts said, as the country draws nearly 1 million tourists on monthly basis. The struggling aviation and hospitality sectors would be affected due to the regulatory move taken by the Government of India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2020 01:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).