Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared that no Minister will travel abroad in the coming days as a measure to encourage Indians to curb non-essential trip in order to break “the chain of spread and ensure safety of all by avoiding large gatherings”.
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Mr. Modi said on Twitter, “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.” He noted that the government was vigilant with regard to the COVID-19. “Across ministries and 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,” he added.
Rashtrapati Bhawan too has shut visitors’ entry, to the museum and the change of guard ceremony, from March 13 till further notice as a precautionary measure.
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The Prime Minister’s directive to Ministers comes a day after the Union government temporarily suspended visas for all inbound travel. This also follows Mr. Modi asking all to desist from large gatherings during Holi and continuously monitoring efforts at combating the spread of the disease. Till date, 73 have tested positive for carrying the Novel Coronavirus in the country.
A group of ministers (GoM) comprising Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri among others was constituted on February 3 and it has been monitoring the situation.
