Chandigarh, March 11 (IANS): A group of ministers of the Punjab government on Wednesday reviewed the preparations to check the coronavirus (Covid-19) scare in the state and decided to buy 1,000 more personal protection kits for the doctors and paramedical staff.

Also, all the Deputy Commissioners were directed not to grant any permission for big gatherings. An official spokesperson said the group of ministers, led by Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, reviewed the preparations and action taken by the departments concerned to prevent coronavirus from spreading further.

Anurag Aggarwal, Principal Secretary (Health), said that so far only one positive case of coronavirus has been confirmed in the state of a person who came from Italy along with his family.

Till date, 14 suspected cases have been reported in state, Aggarwal added.

He further said that passengers coming from high-risk countries are being admitted to isolation wards for 14 days whereas persons coming from low-risk countries need to submit an undertaking that they will remain in home isolation for 14 days.

Meanwhile, the Central government has given the nod to the state to conduct the primary test for coronavirus in state-owned medical colleges in Amritsar and Patiala and the PGIMER in Chandigarh.