Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday warned against rumour-mongering in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in the country and emphasised on the need to follow the advice of doctors in this regard.
While appealing to the people to not trust rumours about the Coronavirus outbreak, PM Modi asked them to consult their doctor if they have doubts.
“Some people say this is not to be eaten, that is not to be done, some people will bring four new things that coronavirus can be avoided by eating this. We have to avoid these rumours too,” the PM said during an interaction with beneficiaries of a government scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadi Pariyojana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked people to avoid handshakes and once again endorsed the Indian greeting with folded hands – the “Namaste”.
“The world has developed the habit of namaste to greet each other. We should also follow the same. It is better to avoid handshakes and greet everyone with namaste,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister’s advice came as two suspected cases of the virus were detected in Jammu and Kashmir and Amritsar each. So far, 31 people including 16 Italian tourists, have been confirmed with the deadly virus, that has killed more than 3,450 people globally.
Earlier this week, PM Modi had said he will not be participating in this year’s Holi Milan programme.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister had urged people not to panic in the wake of the virus outbreak and advised them to stay away from unnecessary public gatherings. He further appealed to the people to undertake some basic self-preventive measures such as washing hands and practising good hygiene.
Meanwhile, India’s ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin tweeted today saying people were beginning to adopt ‘Namaste’ as a greeting at United Nations.
Namaste 🙏🏽
A healthy Indian tradition is gaining new ground @UN as diplomats strive to keep in tune with the times.
As on so many other issues, India & Singapore agree on this too. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/E0I06PD6Ec
— Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) March 7, 2020