The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 283 on Saturday with 60 persons testing positive as several states went into battle mode to contain the pandemic, announcing partial shutdowns and imposing restrictions on people’s movement and gatherings among a slew of precautionary measures.
The country is also set to observe a janata curfew from 7 amto 9 pm on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched forsocial distancing, asking people, barring those in essential services, not toget out of their homes.
The health ministry said the total number of coronaviruspositive cases stood at 283, with 60 fresh cases reported, the highest in aday.
The total figure of 283 cases in the country includes fourdeaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra and also 39foreign nationals — 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from theUK, and one each from Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
“The total number of active COVID-19 cases across Indiastands at 256 so far,” the ministry said, adding 23 others have beencured/discharged/migrated while four have died.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 63,including three foreigners, followed by Kerala at 40, including seven foreignnationals.
Delhi has reported 26 positive cases, which include oneforeigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner.
Telangana has reported 21 cases, including 11 foreigners.Rajasthan has reported 17 cases, including two foreigners.
In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners.
Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. Punjab and Ladakhhave 13 cases each. Gujarat has seven cases while Jammu and Kashmir has four.
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal havereported three cases each. Odisha has two cases.
Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh have reported onecase each.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 12 more freshcases of coronavirus were reported on Saturday, taking the state’s tally to 49.Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said three foreign nationals underobservation have tested positive and the total number of cases has risen tosix.InGujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the state has 13 coronavirus positivepatients, with six new cases reported.