Govt asks authorities to take stern action against black marketing during lockdown

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked authorities to take quick and stern action against individuals involved in hoarding and black marketing. Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, Joint Secretary in Home Ministry Punya Salila Shrivastava said, the Home Ministry did a detailed review of the status of essential commodities and lockdown measures. The present status of essential goods and services is by and large satisfactory.

 

Joint Secretary in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal informed that Government has been adopting a strategy for cluster containment and for outbreaks that are amenable to management. He said, this strategy is producing positive results, especially in Agra and Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar



Pradesh, Pathanamthitta in Kerala, Bhilwara in Rajasthan and East Delhi.

 

He said, Indian Railways has prepared 40 thousand isolation beds in 2,500 coaches. Railways is making 375 isolation beds daily and this is going on across 133 locations across the country. Quoting a recent ICMR study, Mr Agarwal said, if one COVID-19 patient does not follow lockdown orders or practice social distancing, then the patient can infect 406 people in 30 days.

 

The total number of COVID-19 cases in country has risen to 4,789 with 508 more positive cases reported yesterday. In all, 124 deaths have been reported so far.