Two more people suspected of being affected by coronavirus have been admitted to the isolation ward of RML hospital in Delhi, taking the total number of patients housed at the facility to eight, hospital authorities said on Saturday.

On Friday evening, two men, aged 23 and 46 years, complained of respiratory problems and fever at the hospital which has been designated by the government to deal with such cases, they said.

The 23-year-old had been staying in Wuhan for the last five years and he returned to India on January 24. The other man visited Changsa and returned to India on January 18, they added.

Six people, suspected of being affected by novel coronavirus, were already under observation at the isolation ward.

The samples of the eight people, who are all residents of Delhi, have been sent for testing and reports are awaited, the hospital authorities said.

India reported its first case of novel coronavirus in Kerala on Thursday and the patient, a female medical student, has been kept in an isolation ward in the state.

The government has stepped up its efforts to detect and prevent the spread of the virus that has killed 259 people and infected 11,791 in China and has spread to at least 17 countries already.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday reviewed the country’s preparedness with the ministries concerned to tackle the spread of the virus, an official release said.

He also spoke to chief secretaries of the states and UTs through video-conference, it added.

During these meetings, it was decided that all those who have come from China after January 15 will be tested for the exposure to the virus.

Apart from putting measures in place to battle the spread at home, 324 Indians came back to India on Saturday morning from Wuhan.

Authorities have been screening patients at 21 airports, ports and borders for possible coronavirus infection and the Health Ministry has urged people to report themselves if they show symptoms of the virus, such as cold and respiratory distress, on the 24×7 helpline (011-23978046).

The ministry has asked people to refrain from travelling to China and the states bordering Nepal –Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim — have stepped up vigil.