New Delhi (NVI): The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today directed relevant agencies in all the states and the Union Territories of India to take effective measures for ensuring social distancing during the 21-day lockdown.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issued an order, directing the Ministries/ Departments of Government, and the State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities to take effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The order shall remain in force in all parts of the country for a period of 21 days with effect from tonight, it said.
”The Ministries/ Departments of Government of India and State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, have been directed to ensure strict implementation of these Orders. The implementation of these measures will be monitored by MHA,” the order reads.
COVID-19 epidemic has affected many countries and the World Health Organisation has declared it ‘Pandemic’.
The government has been taking several proactive preventive and mitigating measures starting with progressive tightening of international travel, issue of advisories for the members of the public, setting up quarantine facilities, contact tracing of persons infected by the virus and various social distancing measures, it said.
Several advisories have been issued to States and Union Territories (UTs) for taking necessary measures to contain the spread of this virus. Government have temporarily suspended metro and rail services as well as domestic air traffic.
The situation has been continuously reviewed at the level of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had also addressed the Nation on the need for preventive measures and has also held meeting with all the Chief Ministers through video conference.
Experts, keeping in view the global experiences of countries which have been successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 unlike some others where thousands of people died, have recommended that effective measures for social distancing should be taken to contain the spread of this pandemic, an official statement said.
