NEW DELHI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 199 on Friday, India's federal health ministry said.

"Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India is 199," a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. "Of these, 163 cases are Indian nationals and 32 foreign nationals."

On Thursday evening the number was 177, including four deaths.

So far Maharashtra state has reported the highest number of cases, followed by Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka.

"The confirmed positive cases in Maharashtra is 44, while as in Kerala the number is 26," the ministry said. "In Uttar Pradesh, it is 18, while as in Delhi and Karnataka, the number is 16 and 15 respectively."

Twenty people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement, the ministry said.

The government has issued advisories asking people to avoid crowded places and unnecessary foreign travel.

The local governments in most Indian states have closed educational institutions, clubs, cinema halls, gyms, museums, swimming pools until March 31 to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, and major sporting events were cancelled.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday announced self-imposed public curfew on Sunday in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

Modi said no one should step out of their homes from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. local time, except those people in essential services.

The Indian government has banned the entry of all international commercial passenger flights from March 22 for one week.