Despite the fact Coronavirus or COVID-19 has taken the whole world into its grasp, all countries have done and done their best to resist the spread. And in the period of mitigation, India has been one prominent name in the fight against the novel Coronavirus.
As of Friday, 905 positive cases and 20 unbiased deaths have been recorded in the country. Despite the fact that India has over 1.3 billion citizens, these numbers raise the questions about why the virus has not spread as rapidly as elsewhere.
Currently, one major answer to many of these is the rapid action of the Indian Government. The country officials took major issues into consideration which were faced by other countries like China, the US, UK, France, and Italy and deployed timely precautions.
Regarding the outbreak in the country, a report is released by the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Balram Bhargava. This outlined the fact that the community transmission of COVID-19 has not yet occurred in India. This means that those who contracted the virus did so from a known source.
Adding to this, major flight routes have been canceled due to the outbreak. Individuals coming from major countries are being checked with proper setbacks. According to health officials, more than 1 million passengers have been screened at airports, limiting the entry of coronavirus.
Subsequently, Indian citizens who live abroad including China, Italy, Japan, and Iran have been evacuated and our general population is advised to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel, both domestic and international routes.
The rapid response by our government coincides with past major outbreaks including Ebola in 2016 and Nipah in 2018. Same to the period, the people are quarantined or put into adequate surveillance.
PM Narendra Modi announced the 21-days lockdown in the country until April 14th. Also, PM Modi was quick in recommending all residents in the country to avoid and postpone situations of mass gatherings until the virus spread is controlled.
Connecting to the nation, PM Modi held his “Mann Ki Baat” session. A regular radio program was scheduled for 29th March. PM Modi’s major focus was to address the citizens of India in the vital conditions due to the novel Coronavirus. It urged people to stay updated with the latest facts, diminishing the percentage of false news in the country.
Supporting the lockdown, India’s Ministry of External Affairs postponed the Indian Cricket Premier League until April 15th to avoid any rampage of an audience at stadiums. As for educational hubs, State Authorities are advised to shut schools, gyms and swimming pools in the worst-hit regions.
Every state govt. has come forward in aid to the local population. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a precautionary plan. Under this, at least 4 lakh people are to be regularly fed until the end of lockdown. 500 schools and 289 are under the distribution of regular food supply.
Adding to this, 7.5 kg of ration will be distributed free of cost among 71 lakh Delhi citizens. MLAs are requested to ensure social distancing at ration shops and prominent public areas. Every quarantined area is to be checked thoroughly, delivering maximum help to the citizens.
Major examinations such as Higher Secondary Exams (10th and 12th), Medical Entrance Exam (NEET) and Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) have been postponed until May end by CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and NTA (National Testing Agency).
Not only the government has taken sustainable measures, but some provocative steps have been launched by our Defense barrier. Recently, the Indian Army launched “Operation Namaste” which aims to combat the spread of Coronavirus and aid our government in its fight against the pandemic.
Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has assured that our 1.3 million strong force will be kept safe and sound. Under “Operation Namaste”, eight quarantine facilities have been established across the nation. Additionally, the Army has provided command wise helpline numbers and adequate healthcare facilities at Army hospitals for rank holders and their families.
Such responses have been appreciated by Indian citizens. The general public is observed to patiently follow the instructions provided by our government. Videos and posts are regularly shared to praise the workforce engaged during the quarantine.
WHO representative Henk Bekedam praised India’s tip-toed measures. “It is one of the reasons why India is still doing quite well. I am very impressed that everyone has been mobilized,” Henk said. But still, the country has to slow down two of the most important aspects of the problem: limiting unauthorized gatherings and debunking false information circulating on social media.
To fight it, regular measures are being undertaken to tackle these problems. News channels have been advised to regularly update the viewers. Social media influencers and major celebrities spread new updates as days go by. Telecom companies have nearly doubled the strength of signals for fast connectivity.
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The Public Health Department, Maharashtra released a memorandum last week stating true facts for the people. It stated, “Any fact that consuming more garlic, cow’s urine or curry leaves act as major relief against COVID-19 is falsely planted. People are urged to practice good hygiene, contain coughs and sneezes and eat nutritious food.”
Despite all the fear and tension, every part of the government is striving hard to keep the peace and security of the citizens. Both social and print media are taken along to maximize the spread of support. Though the numbers are neither high nor low, India’s foremost goal is to minimize the number of cases. And who knows, maybe it could make the nation a blueprint for other top economies seeking to limit the outbreak.
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