Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel. (PTI photo)
With the number of novel coronavirus cases increasing in India and globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured that his government is “fully vigilant” about the prevailing situation and that multiple steps have been taken to ensure the safety of the citizens.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister stated that none of his ministers will travel abroad in the upcoming days and urged people to avoid non-essential travel.
Say No to Panic, Say Yes to Precautions.
No Minister of the Central Government will travel abroad in the upcoming days. I urge our countrymen to also avoid non-essential travel.
We can break the chain of spread and ensure safety of all by avoiding large gatherings.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2020
“Say no to panic, say yes to precautions. No Minister of the Central Government will travel abroad in the upcoming days. I urge our countrymen to also avoid non-essential travel. We can break the chain of spread and ensure the safety of all by avoiding large gatherings,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
Centre has advised all states and Union territories to invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which will enable them to enforce advisories as and when needed. (Express photo: Jaipal Singh)
So far, 73 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been detected in India, prompting authorities to take unprecedented decisions such as to suspend all visas, barring select categories, till April 15, effectively closing its borders for a month. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Group of Ministers constituted to review, monitor and evaluate the preparedness and measures taken to fight the COVID outbreak. It means that no foreign tourists can enter India for over a month now, affecting an already stressed economy. (Click here to follow our full coverage of COVID-19)
Modi had also earlier said that coronavirus was a major challenge for the world and the global economy, and that India and the world would have to face the challenge together.
The Centre had also advised all states and Union territories to invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which will enable them to enforce advisories as and when needed.
The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected over 1,27,748 individuals worldwide and claimed 4,717 lives.