The number of Coronavirus affected patients in Maharashtra increased to 12 on Thursday. The patients are only displaying mild symptoms. Since Wednesday there has been an addition of one patient from Nagpur and Pune city respectively.

Pune Municipal Commissioner, Shekhar Gaikwad told BusinessLine that six persons in Pune and three persons in Pimpri- Chinchwad municipal area have been tested positive for the coronavirus. The patients are not showing any adverse symptoms, but as a protocol and as a precautionary measure they have been admitted to the isolation wards in Naidu Hospital (Pune) and the local hospital of Pimpri-Chinchwad municipality. Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal area is contiguous to the Pune municipal area.

The Nagpur patient, an employee of IT company had returned from the USA on March 6, admitted himself on Wednesday night at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital for fever. His throat swabs were tested positive for the virus.

All persons who have travelled in the recent past to China, Iran, Itlay, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany will be screened for Coronavirus infections, a press statement issued by the Chief Minister office said.

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Udhhav Thackeray, said that the source of coronavirus infection in the state is not local. It came from the tourists who got infected during their visits overseas. The State Government is also in touch with various embassies for getting additional information, the statement said.

The State Government has asked local authorities to carry out crowd control measures especially at religious places. Information is also being sought from tour operators about overseas travellers. Those tourists who are returning from overseas destinations should observe 15 days self-isolation, the statement said.

“Central Government permission is also being sought for allowing more pathology labs to identify the virus samples,” the statement added.