States need to begin placing orders for equipment needed to combat COVID19: Health Ministry

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said on Tuesday that the states need to impose complete lockdown to break the chain of the spread of coronavirus and also start placing orders for equipment needed to combat against the virus.

"The state governments have been ordered to place their requirements for equipment to combat coronavirus," said Aggarwal at a press conference here.

Briefing media persons here today, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said: "We have asked states to make dedicated COVID-19 hospitals."

He said that as per the information received so far, the work has started at the state level in Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

He also said that though most states and Union Territories have imposed a complete lockdown, "there are a few states where lockdown has been enforced partially."

He also said, "The partial lockdown will not help the Central government's intention to break the chain of the spread of coronavirus."

Meanwhile, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra announced a complete lockdown on Sunday.

"Today at a Cabinet Secretary-level meeting, DRDO, Bharat Electronics Limited and other main organisations of Government of India which are research-related were consulted as to how to promote our indigenous manufacturers so that sufficient ventilators can be provided to the country," said the Joint Secretary.

This discussion was held in the backdrop of the government prohibiting the export of sanitizers and all ventilators including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing apparatus, falling under any ITCHS Code (Indian Trade Clarification based on Harmonized System), with immediate effect.

According to the data compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of the infection-related death toll in the country rose to nine on Tuesday, while the total number of active cases reached 482.