3 more positive coronavirus cases in India, total goes up to 34: Health ministry

Of the three, two are from Ladakh with travel history to Iran while one is from Tamil Nadu who had visited Oman, the ministry said, adding all the patients are stable.

The ministry said more that 150 people, who had come in contact with two American nationals who tested positive for coronavirus in Bhutan and had toured various places in India, have been put under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Also, 108 swab samples of Indians in Iran were received on Saturday morning. These sample arrived on a Mahan Air flight from Tehran. The flight went back with many Iranian nationals.

The samples are being tested at the laboratory in AIIMS, the health ministry said.

Six scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have been stationed in Iran. Equipment and reagents, worth approximately Rs 10 crore have been dispatched to enable them to set up a laboratory there, the ministry said.

It also said that 7,26,122 passengers from 7,108 flights have been screened at airports. Between Friday morning and Saturday, 73,766 passengers from 573 flights have been screened.

Fifty-two laboratories for testing novel coronavirus are now operational across the country. An additional 57 labs have been provided with Viral Transport Media and swabs for sample collection, the ministry said.

In order to spread awareness among the masses, special COVID-19 mobile phone caller tune was launched by all telecom operators with basic infection prevention messages played when a caller dials a number.

Over 117.2 crore subscribers of BSNL, MTNL Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea are being progressively reached out to through SMSs and call backs, the ministry said.