COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire across India, affecting thousands of lives, some not so privileged, in the process.
The Karnataka state government on Saturday launched a dedicated food helpline number for the migrant workers and daily-wage labourers who have been affected due to the countrywide lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading like wildfire across India.
The food helpline number in Karnataka is: 155214
There have been several appeals from activists across India to make sure that the migrant labourers, who have been stranded in other states due to the lockdown, are taken care of as they cannot be left to fend for themselves or stay in self-quarantine without necessary supplies.
Other states like Delhi have already started official and non-official helpline numbers for necessary assistance. Both the government institutions and social organizations are contributing together in the fight against coronavirus during the lockdown.
Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, as part of the central government, unveiled a fiscal stimulus package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to help the poor and migrant workers (the economically weaker section of the society) of India deal with the economic difficulties arising out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. The measures, revealed under the "Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Scheme", include direct benefit cash transfers and food security amid the countrywide lockdown.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to some of the chief ministers of the states where a mass exodus is happening of migrant workers and asked them to look into the issue and ensure that measures are taken to ease their hardships.
Thousands of people, most of them migrant labourers and daily-wage semi-skilled workers, were seen gathering in Ghazipur on the Delhi border on Friday desperate to reach their hometowns in the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh.
In light of the heightened concern on the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India, the country has been placed under complete lockdown for 21 days. Authorities have asked citizens to maintain strict social distancing to cut the spread of the virus outbreak.
As of 09:45 PM on Saturday, around 933 people across India have been reported to have contracted the COVID-19 disease, as new cases were reported in Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu on this day. The virus has affected around 621,636 people worldwide. The global death toll has hit 28,658, according to the COVID-19 statistics centre at the John Hopkins University.
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 "Photo: Karnataka government")
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