We are in stage 2, not in stage 3 clearly: Indian Council of Medical Research on COVID 19 outbreak
New Delhi/IBNS: Balram Bhargava, director-general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on Tuesday confirmed that India is still in phase 2 (local transmission) of the COVID19 outbreak which has claimed three lives in the country so far.
"We already know that we are in stage 2," he said while addressing press conference.
Stage 2 of the coronavirus is where the disease transmission is limited to those with travel history to the affected countries and others in contact with the infected persons. In stage 3 of the virus, it starts spreading through the community.
He said the country is not passing through stage three of the outbreak clearly.
"We have 72 functional laboratories in ICMR system," he said.
As the Novel Coronavirus engulfed the entire world, the death toll from the virus in India rose to three on Tuesday as a 64-year old man passed away at Mumbai's Kasturba Hospital.
The deceased, who had returned from Dubai, was first admitted to Hinduja Hospital and later shifted to an isolation facility at Kasturba Hospital.
The man's wife and son have also tested COVID-19 positive.
So far, 126 people including 13 cured and three deaths have been infected by the deadly Coronavirus.
The western state of Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of positive cases (36) followed by Kerala (22).
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