Govt appeals people to avoid religious congregation, adhere to social distancing during lockdown

The Government has said, positive cases of corona virus in the country has increased and states have been asked to launch intensive drive to trace the suspected contacts. Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, Joint Secretary in Health and Family Welfare, Lav Agarwal said, movement of the people associated with Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in the national capital, has increased the number of cases in the country. Mr Agarwal  said, 18 hundred people have been hospitalized and sent for quarantine. He appealed that religious congregation should be avoided and social distancing should be adhered during lock down.

The Joint Secretary said, government is regulating 24 class of medical devices which have been notified and regulated as drugs under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. He said, no manufacturer and importer can increase the MRP of a drug more than ten percent of MRP during preceding twelve month. He said, this step has been taken to provide the medicines and devices at affordable rates to the people. Mr. Aggarwal said, Supreme Court has directed the states to make arrangement of counselor at relief camps.

Joint Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs, Punya Salila Srivastava said that efforts have been made by the States and Union Territories to provide essential items to the people. She said, 21 thousand 486 relief camps have been set up in the country while meals are being provided to  25 lakh people.

Head Scientist, ICMR, Delhi, Raman R Gangakhedkar said, 47 thousand 951 tests have been conducted so far and the current capacity utilization of the labs is 38 per cent. He said, ICMR has given approval to 126 government laboratories and 51 private laboratories to conduct the tests.