New Delhi, March 6 (IANS): As the Union Health Ministry is busy with preparations for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus, the Delhi government is ready with 230 beds in hospitals for any patient of the disease.

The 25 hospitals where these special beds have been set up include six private facilities.

So far, 31 people in India have tested positive of coronavirus out of which 16 are Italian tourists.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said: "Isolation wards and special beds have been made in 19 government and six private hospitals to deal with coronavirus. Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital have been set up as nodal hospitals to deal with coronavirus."

The Delhi government has issued an advisory to avoid gatherings for a few days as a preventive measure against coronavirus. Jain said: "Coronavirus can be avoided if people are alert."

The Minister said masks and hand sanitisers are not necessary for common people. "The masks are necessary only for doctors and medical staff. Apart from physicians, people who are suffering from cold-cough, cold, fever, etc., can also use the masks. Similary, since the doctors can't wash their hands after treating every patients so they use hand sanitisers."

The Delhi government has also set up a state level task force, headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, to tackle coronavirus. In order to avoid the spread of coronavirus, all primary schools in Delhi will remain closed till March 31.