Bold and timely action by PM Narendra Modi helps to check Coronavirus in India

It was on 10 January 2020 when the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued a statement announcing the death of a 61-year-old man who was hospitalized with severe pneumonia. In fact, reports had suggested that Indian researchers tried to decode the DNA of the virus, which would be helpful in developing a vaccine. This is the type of proactive approach that was required and the Indian government adopted it in the first instance, all the while world’s most developed economies were still trying to solve the riddle. Many countries essentially ended up taking the same steps that India took very early on in the curve. It is because of him that when the most developed countries have struggled with their response to the Novel Coronavirus, India has set benchmarks in almost real-time. Even before hitting a single case of Covid-19, India had already prohibited the export of N95 Masks and PPE. By 30 January 2020, the day India’s first case of COVID-19 was reported, screening of passengers with travel history from China at 20 airports along with land border vigils was already happening. At the same time, the government started to test all those who came from China after 15 January, 2020 and advised 14 days’ home isolation for them. Seeing the situation in China, all e-visa facilities of China were suspended as a quick measure while all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, were suspended till 15th April 2020. PM Modi announced an early lockdown which yet again reflects tough political decision in National interest starting with Janta Curfew on 22 March 2020 followed by a 21-day complete lockdown starting from the midnight of 24 March 2020.