ADVERTISEMENT

PM Modi Holds Video Conference With Chief Ministers On Coronavirus

Contact tracing of those feared to be exposed to the deadly virus, among other issues, will be discussed at the meeting. 

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, speaks during a news conference at Parliament House on the opening day of the Budget Session in New Delhi. (Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg)
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, speaks during a news conference at Parliament House on the opening day of the Budget Session in New Delhi. (Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a video conference with all chief ministers to discuss ways to check the spread of coronavirus.

Contact tracing of those feared to be exposed to the deadly virus and isolation of those who test positive of the virus are likely to be discussed in the meeting, sources said. The meeting is underway as of noon.

Issues such as the spread of coronavirus, movement of migrants, availability of essentials and contact tracing of Tablighi Jamat participants are also likely to come up for discussion.

Opinion
India’s Grim Coronavirus Exodus Has Some Ugly Echoes

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and top bureaucrats were present along with the prime minister. This is for the second time the prime minister is holding a video conference with the chief ministers after the spread of coronavirus, and the first after the 21-day lockdown came into force.

On March 20 also he had interacted with the CMs. The lockdown was enforced on March 24. According to the health ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus touched 50 on Thursday. The total number of positive cases has risen to 1,965 in the country.