New Delhi: Declaring an all-out war against the novel coronavirus also called COVID-19 that has spread to 76 countries in a matter of three months, the defence ministry has, perhaps for the first time ever, asked the personnel of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and their families to stay away from the upcoming 'Holi' celebrations on Tuesday.
'Holi', the festival of colours, is one of the biggest Indian festivals celebrated with joy and gaiety across the country.
"All armed forces and their families will avoid large festive congregations (for example Holi celebrations in the near future) and visits to crowded places (movie halls, theatres, shopping malls, etc) which involve close personal contact," said an advisory issued by the Director-General, Armed Forces Medical Services, that was assessed by ETV Bharat.
Instructing immediate implementation and ensuring strict compliance, the advisory sought "sensitization of commanders at all levels as well as serving personnel and their families on the preventive measures to combat COVID-19".
It also ordered a compulsory 14-day quarantine for all serving personnel and their families coming from Italy, Iran, Singapore and Korea.
At an individual level, the advisory asked the military personnel to maintain a social distance of at least a metre from anyone else. "Individuals at all levels to be strictly instructed to avoid handshakes and close contacts with people having any respiratory symptoms…avoid mass gatherings as far as possible. Maintain a social distance of at least one metre from others."
Other measures included avoiding gatherings, crowds and even visits to 'animal farms, live animal markets or where animals are slaughtered'.
The personnel were also asked to "maintain a list of close contacts at home, work place or from commute or social groups to ease the process of contact tracing during exigency."
Warning that the threat of transmission inside the country now looms large at hand, the advisory blames travelers both foreign from the affected countries. "Almost all the cases have been reported in foreign nationals visiting India from affected countries and Indians with travel history in affected countries."
According to official data, between January and March 2020, 78 lakh people flew into India, which means on the average 87,000 people flew into India every day.
Latest global figures put the coronavirus infection cases at at least 98,000 and more than 3,280 deaths.
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