India saw a sudden spike in coronavirus cases yesterday, with 22 new cases emerging amid growing panic within the country.

The total number of people infected with Covid-19 in India has now touched 28, according to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

These include the three initial patients, who have since recovered, in the southern state of Kerala.

India's Health Minister said that 16 Italian tourists and an Indian who was driving them around had tested positive for the virus. Separately, six relatives of a man who was confirmed positive on Monday also tested positive for the virus.

Amid panic buying of disinfectant and masks across different parts of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had urged Indians not to panic, also asked people to stay away from large gatherings.

"Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of Covid-19 novel coronavirus. Hence, this year, I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme," Mr Modi tweeted. Milan means gathering in Hindi.

Holi is a popular Hindu festival where people smear one another with coloured powder and throw coloured water or water-filled balloons.

Mr Modi's Cabinet colleagues also tweeted that they would not participate in Holi programmes, as did other political leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

President Ram Nath Kovind also announced that the "traditional" Holi celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President's official residence, were cancelled as a "precautionary measure".

The sudden upsurge in cases saw the government hold rounds of high-level meetings amid announcements that India would now screen all passengers coming into India amid the ongoing outbreak.

"From now on, all flights and passengers will be part of universal screening, not just the 12 countries which we had listed earlier," said Dr Vardhan during a press conference.

The 12 countries listed earlier had included Singapore.

In another fallout from the virus outbreak, the government also brought in curbs on the export of 26 medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients, including paracetamol and antibiotics, following the disruption of supplies from China.