Priyanka Gandhi asks people to take precautions and prevent spread of coronavirus

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday appealed to people to take precautions to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

India reported its first death due to coronavirus on Thursday as the number of positive cases soared to 75, with authorities taking emergency measures to contain its spread like shutting down schools, colleges and cinema halls in the national capital and some other places.

Issuing a video appeal to people on Twitter, Priyanka Gandhi said everyone will have to remain "very careful and vigilant" as the novel coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the WHO.

"There are small things which we can do to keep this disease away. Wash your hands repeatedly for at least for 30 seconds. Apart from this, if you have any symptoms of the disease like cough, fever, then see a doctor or get in touch with a hospital," the Congress general secretary said.

"If you have symptoms then don't meet many people. If you are planning to undertake a journey, postpone it for a few days. These are small things but by taking care of them you can avoid this disease and we can stop this disease from spreading," she said.

She also said that several nations of the world, including India, were facing the pandemic.

"As a responsible citizen, we can prevent the disease from spreading by taking small precautions. Let's together defeat this pandemic," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.