First COVID-19 Death Reported in India... "Fever After Visiting Saudi"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Local media reported on the 13th that the first death from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred in India.

According to reports, the health authorities of Karnataka state in southern India announced that a 76-year-old man suspected of being infected with COVID-19 died on the 10th and was confirmed positive after death. The authorities stated, "This man developed a fever after returning from Saudi Arabia on the 29th of last month, received treatment at a hospital, was classified as a suspected COVID-19 case, and was awaiting test results."

The man was reported to have been suffering from pneumonia, hypertension, and asthma. The authorities explained, "The body was thoroughly disinfected and handled according to Indian government law." They are conducting quarantine measures, including isolating those who had contact with the man.

As of the 12th, India officially reported 74 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The number of confirmed cases has been rapidly increasing recently. The Indian government decided to suspend the validity of all visas except for some such as diplomatic and employment visas from the 13th until the 15th of next month, effectively blocking foreign entry.

India had already effectively blocked the entry of foreigners from major COVID-19 affected regions such as Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran, and China through measures including suspension of electronic visa issuance and invalidation of existing visas. On the 10th, these measures were expanded to countries such as France, Germany, and Spain, and a 14-day quarantine was introduced for travelers coming via China, Korea, Italy, and other countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.