On Friday, the Lok Sabha or the lower wing of the Indian Parliament issued a health advisory for its members due to the steady rise of a number of coronavirus cases detected in the national capital. The advisory stated the MPs to ensure compliance with hygiene measures, avoid large-scale gatherings within the Parliament premises and states that the mobility of visitors needs to be “severely restricted”.
From March 11, the advisory will turn into effect, when the Parliament would be reconvening for the remainder of the Budget Session.
The guidelines and the restrictions instructed to MPs and the visitors linked to them comes amidst several advisories issued by the Ministry of Health for the general populace and those travelling to India from abroad.
Lok Sabha Advisory issued to MPs:
Lok Sabha issues advisory for Members of Parliament (MPs) and visitors, over #CoronaVirus. pic.twitter.com/BqdwpLcZOY
— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2020
“These measures should include hand and respiratory hygiene must be practised. Large gathering within the precincts of Parliament House Estate may be avoided. Visitors other than those, which are essential for official/operational reasons, maybe strictly restricted,” stated the advisory.
The instructions of the advisory have to be followed by offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and it has been circulated to the office of every political party having its office inside the premises.
31 COVID-19 cases have been detected in India till Friday. China has been facing the worst of novel coronavirus causing havoc waiting to turn itself to an epidemic. 3,000 deaths have been recorded in China along with 91,000 infected patients since the virus emerged in its Wuhan city starting from mid-December.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its press conference on Wednesday, announced an estimated global mortality rate due to coronavirus as 3.4 per cent.
The rate, although seemingly lower than what health analysts predict its worst to be, it is higher than the fatalities recorded due to seasonal flu.
Lower than one per cent of those contract the virus of seasonal flu succumbs to death.
