Govt will ensure availability of PPEs, rise in COVID-19 cases doesn't represent national trend: Health Ministry

The Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Wednesday reaffirmed that the government has taken several steps to ensure the availability of personal protection equipment (PPE) that is necessary to fight the coronavirus crisis in the country. 

Joint Secretary Lav Agrawal addressed a press conference to brief on the current situation in and informed that instructions have been issued regarding the cost of medical equipment that is required to battle coronavirus. He also added that no company is allowed to hike the price by more than 10%.

He also said that some flights have been started to transport essential commodities like testing kits, medicines and masks.

The official also informed that 1,800 people of the Tablighi Jamaat who attended a religious event in Nizamuddin Markaz have been sent to nine hospitals.

Speaking on the rise in the number of cases, he said that it does not represent a national trend.

Informing that the Indian Railways has started to convert coaches into isolation centres, Agrawal said that it is preparing to set up 3.2 lakh isolation beds by modifying 20,000 beds, of which, modification of 5,000 coaches has already begun. One coach is expected to have 16 beds, making it 80,000 beds in these 5,000 coaches.

An email ID has also been created to curb misinformation as per the directions of Supreme Court. "For that, we've created email id technicalquery.covid19@gov.in through which a joint secretary-rank officer of Health Ministry and specialized doctors of AIIMS will provide technical support," he informed.