Gujarat has reported more coronavirus cases with three more testing positive for COVID-19, after two positive cases had surfaced in the State on Thursday. With the new cases, the State’s total tally has risen to five.

The State health department on Friday stated that of the three people who tested positive, two were from Ahmedabad and one from Vadodara.

Earlier, two persons each from Surat and Rajkot tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel stated that all the positive cases have a travel history overseas. “The local administrations across the State have been alerted and we are taking all precautionary measures. Persons having the infections have had foreign travel recently. We are keeping a close check on all persons coming to Gujarat,” Patel said.

Briefing the media on Friday morning, Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary -- Health, Gujarat, stated that all the persons who tested positive have been kept in isolation in hospitals in the respective cities.

“So far the State has five positive cases of covid-19 and we are awaiting test results of 23 more. Notably, no one is on the ventilator and their condition is stable. Most of the patients are asymptomatic,” Ravi said. A Vadodara resident who arrived from Spain and two women having travel history from Finland and the US have tested positive.

Concern has risen in the home State of Prime Minister Modi after two persons -- a 32-year-old man residing in Rajkot and a 21-year-old woman from Surat, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Both have an overseas travel history. All the five infected individuals are under 35 years of age.

“So far there is no instance of clustering. We are trying to locate those who have come in contact with them. They are also being quarantined. District collectors, municipal commissioners and police are being roped in for help. We are trying to ensure this virus doesn't move towards clustering,” said Ravi.

After the rise in coronavirus infections in Gujarat, Ravi clarified that the State has adequate testing facilities. “We have the capacity to test 200 samples per day. And we are also hopeful of getting two additional labs from ICMR by Sunday,” she stated.

Notably, following the nationwide ‘Janta Curfew’ call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the Gujarat government has announced suspending movement of all public transport buses across the State.

Speaking to mediapersons on Friday, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated that all intra-city and inter-city State transport buses will remain shut on Sunday. “We will ensure that the Janta Curfew is followed across Gujarat in true spirit. All the State Transport buses of GSRTC, City buses and Jan Marg BRTS across Gujarat will remain shut on the upcoming Sunday,” Rupani said.

The move is aimed at containing the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

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