As of now, India has reported 2,032 confirmed cases, 151 recoveries and over 50 deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Efforts are being taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other governmental bodies to contain and manage the crisis effectively:
- Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Lifeline Udan flights for movement of medical and essential supplies. Around 74 flights have been operated for transporting medical goods across the country. A total of 37.63 tonnes of cargo has been transported up until now.
- India has officially rolled out its coronavirus tracker app called Aarogya Setu that will use your smartphone’s location data and Bluetooth to check if you have been near a Covid-19 infected person or not. The app is available on Google Play Store.
- Individual states have been asked to complete the contact tracing of Tablighi Jamaat participants (the organisation came into limelight after an event they held in New Delhi is said to have spawned a number of Covid-19 cases across the nation) on a war footing basis.
- Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India has announced amendments to Insurance Rules, 1939. Sitharaman tweeted:
- Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances’(DARPG) national monitoring dashboard on Covid-19 grievances has been introduced. Through this platform, grievances received in Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) with all ministries, departments, states and union territories are monitored on a priority basis.
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has sanctioned the establishment of the Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in Jammu and Kashmir. PMRU along with NPPA and state drug controller will ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.
Source: Press Information Bureau, India
