Sonia Gandhi urges Congress CMs to tackle coronavirus challenge

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday wrote to chief ministers of Congress-ruled states to take necessary steps for facing the coronavirus challenge and spread awareness about the same.

"We are in the midst of a global health emergency. As the international community steps up efforts to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, there is an urgent need for an effective domestic response. The spike in the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India over the last week has led to public panic," the letter read.

"In this context, it is critical for the state government to put in place effective response and preparedness measures. The capacity of public healthcare facilities must be augmented to respond to any potential outbreak," the letter added.

It further said: "Increased disease surveillance, and strengthening the testing facilities could help early detection and containment. The state government must lend all possible support to public health care responders to carry out their duty effectively."

"The World Health Organisation has warned of a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially for frontline health workers, and have estimated that manufacturers must increase production by 40 per cent to meet requirements," it added.

The Congress Working President urges the state governments to ensure an adequate supply of PPE, especially in public healthcare facilities, and initiate effective measures to prevent hoarding and black-marketing.

The letter was addressed to the chief ministers of Punjab, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The country's total number of positive cases of coronavirus touched 31 today.

Coronavirus has so far killed more than 3200 people globally.