Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates

Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Infosys vacates Bengaluru office after employee suspected with COVID-19; demand for face masks, sanitizer soars over 500% in 15 days

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12:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in Thailand Latest Updates Thailand confirms seven new coronavirus cases, total at 82 On Saturday, Thailand recorded seven more new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 82, health officials said. One person has died so far, according to Reuters news agency.

Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia Latest Updates Saudi to suspend all international flights for two weeks from Sunday  As a precautionary measure to fight the coronavirus outbreak, Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it would suspend international flights for two weeks .   "The Kingdom's government decided to suspend international flights for two weeks (Starting from Sunday 15 March) as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus," the foreign ministry tweeted.

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Supreme Court to hear only urgent matters from Monday amid COVID-19 scare  In view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the functioning of the Supreme Court will be restricted to urgent matters from Monday when six benches will sit to hear such cases. The top court, in a notification issued on Friday, announced that six benches of the court will sit and take up urgent matters from 16 March. "On reviewing the advisory issued by the Government and in view of the opinion of public health experts including medical professionals and also considering the safety and welfare of all the visitors, litigants, lawyers, court staff, security, maintenance and support staff, student interns and media professionals, the Competent Authority has been pleased to direct that the functioning of the courts from Monday (16 March) shall be restricted to urgent matters with such number of Benches as may be found appropriate," another notification stated.

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates 559% rise in the demand of hand sanitizers, 334% hike in the demand for face masks Amid the coronavirus alarm in India, the sale of face masks, sanitizer, and gloves have soared in the country. The demand for these protective products has skyrocketed to the tune of over 500 percent in the last 15 days, compared to the previous 15 days. The virus that has so far killed over 5,000 people and has affected over 1.4 lakh people worldwide, as a result increasing the demand for personal protective equipment in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other major cities of India. Speaking to Firstpost, Mr. Sandip Chhettri, COO, TradeIndia.com said, " In the last 15 days, the demand for sanitizers has increased by 559 percent; face mask has increased by 334 percent; hand wash has increased by 81 percent; and disposable gloves has increased by 66 percent. Apart from the three major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru), the demand has also surged in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Surat, Pune, Srinagar, etc."  "There is a major rise in the manufacturing and export of personal protective equipment as people rush to medical stores to get their hands on either N95 or surgical face masks to protect themselves from the threat of coronavirus.The major demand is witnessed from Indian cities and mostly for reselling purposes. Along with the mask, the demand for mask making machines has also surged by 250 percent," Chhettri added.

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Infosys has comprehensive pandemic response plan based on WHO, says official  After evacuating one of its satellite office buildings in Bengaluru in an attempt to fight coronavirus out, Infosys said it has well-defined disaster recovery and business continuity plans at various levels. Speaking to Firstpost, one of the company's official said, "We also have a comprehensive pandemics response plan which is based on WHO and local government recommendations. In the light of the rapid spread of coronavirus, we are constantly monitoring the situation, following applicable government directives and ensuring regular communication with our employees across the world. We have put in place several measures; including increased precautions at our facilities, travel advisories, remote working, and a dedicated helpdesk, to ensure employee safety and business continuity.”

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Infosys evacuates one of its buildings in Bengaluru after employee comes in contact with suspected COVID-19 patient The Infosys in Bengaluru has evacuated one of its satellite office buildings following reports of its employee coming in the proximity with a suspected coronavirus patient. The development comes after the Karnataka government advised IT and other professionals working in air-conditioned places to work from home for time being, for about a week, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. An internal communication from the office here read, "We have received information about a situation of a team member from the IIPM building, who may have been in proximity to an individual with suspected COVID-19." "We have evacuated the IIPM building as a precautionary measure," a company official said on Saturday adding the place was being sanitised.