'Say No to Panic, Yes to Precautions': PM Modi on coronavirus outbreak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government was fully vigilant about the situation that has arisenin the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. He also urged people to not panic, and follow necessary precautions while travelling.

PM Modi also said no minister from the Central government would travel abroad in the upcoming days.

"Say No to Panic, Say Yes to Precautions. No Minister of the Central Government will travel abroad in the upcoming days. I urge our countrymen to also avoid non-essential travel. We can break the chain of spread and ensure safety of all by avoiding large gatherings," PM Modi posted on Twitter.

He added, "The Government is fully vigilant about the situation due to COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Across ministries & states, multiple steps have been proactively taken to ensure safety of all. These steps are wide-ranging, from suspension of Visas to augmenting healthcare capacities."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday declared the outbreak a pandemic as since its start in December, more than 1,20,000 people have been infected, and the cases outside China have risen 13-fold over the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, twocases of novel Coronavirus, or Covid-19, were confirmed in Mumbai on Wednesday -- the first cases of the city. The total number of cases in India has now risen to 68. Of these, Kerala houses the highest number of cases -- 17; Maharashtra has 10.

The Indian government hastaken a series of measures -- includingsuspension of visas of all foreign nationals coming to the country till April 15.