Confirmed cases of coronavirus in India cross 200

Confirmed cases of novel coronavirus climbed to 241 on Friday, as new cases were reported fromparts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

So far Maharashtra has recorded the most number of cases with 44 followed by 26 in Kerala.

Karnataka now has a tally of 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Delhi/NCR has recorded 16 cases.

Furthermore, there have been four deaths due to the virus in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.

State governments have shut down their key centres as most of the infections detected so far have been in urban locales.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered all malls, except grocery and pharmacy shops, to shut. Mumbai is also under partial lockdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation on Thursday, urged the countrymen to not panic and follow precaution in the wake of the rapid increase in the number of cases. He also called for the implementation of a Janata Curfew on Sunday (March 22) -- under which nobody would step out of house between 7 am and 9 pm unless absolutely necessary.

Ealier, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said the government was taking measures to stem the growth of virus in the country, but had denied the possibility of a complete lockdown.

But with the increasing number of case, a lockdown can be in sight.