PIB Comes out with Consolidated Information on Govt's Efforts to Control COVID-19

New Delhi: In view of the Supreme Court order on media coverage of coronavirus crisis, the Press Information Bureau on Wednesday opened a one-stop shop for consolidated information on the government's efforts to control the pandemic by including inputs from all the states and union territories.

The information is available on the website.

Government sources said the effort to make available detailed information is to help the media comply with the directive of the Supreme Court to maintain a strong sense of responsibility in reporting the crisis.

The Supreme Court has directed the media, including print, electronic and social media, to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated.

On its website, the Press Information Bureau provided consolidated information on a range of issues relating to the current situation under a sub-head "PIB Bulletin for COVID-19 matters"

Giving details of measures taken to contain the spread of the infection, the PIB said Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba had a meeting by video conferencing with all the chief secretaries and DGPs of the states.

In the meeting, the states were sensitised about the intensive contact tracing of Tablighi Jamaat participants as it has increased the risk of containment efforts of COVID-19.

"The states were asked to complete the contact tracing process on a war footing. It has been found that foreigners who had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat had violated visa conditions," said a government release.

Thousands of Tablighi Jamaat members gathered at its headquarters in Nizamuddin, ignoring warnings by the government against large gatherings. A number of people who attended the congregation were found to be having coronavirus infection.

A sizeable number of people among them travelled to different states, spreading the infection. Hundreds of people were evicted from the headquarters of Tablighi in Nizamuddin in the last three days.

The PIB module on COVID19 also provided an update on operation of cargo flights to transport medical and other supplies. It said 74 flights were operating till date for transporting medical cargo across the country.

The module also provided detailed information about HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal's directive to 23 IITs in view of the current situation.

"The Minister expressed his desire and directed all the institutes to take care of the students, faculty and their family members and the contractual staff in the campus and ensure that they are not facing any problem," the PIB said.

He also directed that academic calendar of the institutes may be prepared so that students should not lose summer and winter internships.

"A task force call for placements may be set up in institutes to liaise with various companies to ensure that adequate placement not below the levels of past years may take place in these institutes," it said.

On preparedness of the Railways, the PIB module contained extensive information relating to steps being taken by the national transporter to reach out to people in need.

It said Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has directed the officials of Railways to reach out to needy people with food and other assistance to the best of their human abilities and resources.

"The Minister said that Railways should widen the outreach of their efforts and go beyond the proximities of railways stations to deeper areas in consultation with district authorities and NGOs etc," it said.