After witnessing a spike in the coronavirus cases, India has imposed strict travel restrictions and is taking extensive precautionary measures to contain the virus.
As the total number of coronavirus-infected patients jumped to 73 on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to assure the citizens that the government is taking cognizance of the situation and is proactively engaged in containing the outbreak.
In a series of tweets, the PM has asked people to avoid social gatherings and urged not to fall for rumours regarding the virus outbreak. He also informed that the Central Government ministers have been restricted from traveling abroad.
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
The Government is fully vigilant about the situation due to COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus . Across ministries & states, multiple steps have been proactively taken to ensure safety of all.These steps are wide-ranging, from suspension of Visas to augmenting healthcare capacities.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2020
In an advisory, issued on March 10, the government had advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel abroad and suggested people should consult doctors in case of any symptoms. The coronavirus has spread to over 100 countries now and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The government has strongly advised against traveling to China, Italy, Iran, the Republic of Korea, Japan, France, Spain, and Germany.
To educate people regarding the preventive measures of coronavirus, the Central government implemented pre-call awareness messages on BSNL and Reliance Jio connections, said a health ministry official. According to reports, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has written to chief ministers of all the states, asking them to be alert.
Globally, there are over 123,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 4,600 have died.
