The UN has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body’s health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 21-day nationwide lockdown as a “comprehensive and robust” response to the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
“United Nations stands in solidarity with India in itsfight against COVID-19,” said a video message tweeted by United Nations News,the UN’s multimedia news service.
The video also took note of the ‘Janta Curfew’ observedacross India on Sunday, when the country’s 1.3 billion citizens stayed at homefrom 7 am to 9 pm in an effort to practise social distancing.
“India is on a 21-day lockdown to try and prevent theCOVID-19 pandemic from taking hold. The @UN health agency @WHO urged the Gov totake ‘aggressive action’,” UN News tweeted.
WHO Representative to India Henk Bekedam praised thecountry’s response to the pandemic, describing it as “comprehensive androbust”. “Massive efforts have been made towards prevention andcontaining the spread, including strengthening surveillance, laboratorycapacity, contact tracing and isolation and risk communications,” Bekedamsaid. He said the Prime Minister’s call for social distancing had receivedwidespread community support across the country. “It is vital that we cometogether in solidarity and help in breaking the chain of transmission andflattening the curve,” he said.