Govt takes firms steps to prevent Coronavirus spread

Addressing the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called for a people’s curfew (from 7am till 9pm)  on Sunday in a drastic step by his administration to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases. “March 22 will be a symbol of our effort, of our self-restraint, and our resolve to fulfil our duty in service of the nation. The success of a people’s curfew on 22 March, and the experience gained from it, will also prepare us for our upcoming challenges,” he stated.

In addition, PM Modi announced the formation of a Covid-19 economic task force led by Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman. He also urged those who are senior citizens above the age of 65 to stay indoors and assured the nation that there was no need for panic buying.

Further, joining hands with technology company Google and instant messaging platform WhatsApp, the government is attempting to run massive information outreach campaigns to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The US based search engine has been roped in to send as many as 300 notifications every day in order to disseminate information pertaining to the pandemic to its users, according to a senior government official aware of the developments. Further, Google has also customized its India search page with the campaign “DO THE FIVE. Help stop coronavirus” that also furnishes a link to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare page. Important information on the pandemic, along with real-time data on the number of positive cases, their location and reported deaths, etc. can be found on the page. A Chatbot has also been launched by the government called MyGov Corona Helpdesk. Saying Hi on WhatsApp to 9013151515 will generate automated response on queries related to Corona. The government is also in talks with Facebook for the same purpose.