Police Commissioner launches 'Namaste Lucknow' initiative to help contain COVID-19

As Coronavirus pandemic continues to grips the country, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey on Saturday launched the 'Namaste Lucknow' initiative, in a bid to encourage people of the city to greet each other with a 'Namaste' instead of a handshake.

Recently, the Karnataka government also started the 'Namaste over Handshake' campaign with an aim to contain the spread of COVID-19. Several leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have asked people to greet others with a 'Namaste' to maintain social distancing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus a 'pandemic'. Globally, at least 1,45,374 confirmed cases have been reported and more than 5,400 people have lost their lives due to the disease. India has surpassed 100 positive cases of COVID-19, standing at 107. Out of these cases, 12 were reported from Uttar Pradesh.

READ | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Lists Steps To Combat COVID-19; Schools, Colleges Shut Till March 22

PM Modi encourages 'Namaste' as a greeting

As the number of Coronavirus cases in India rises sharply, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all to keep calm and not believe in rumours regarding the virus.

While advising people to wear a mask and gloves, PM Modi said urged people to get into the habit of greeting each other with a “namaste” instead of handshakes as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

"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," he said.

READ | Video: Prince Charles Ditches Handshake, Switches To 'namaste' Amid Coronavirus Scare

Schools shut, labs and isolation wards set up in Uttar Pradesh

A day after he announced the closure of educational institutes amid increasing cases of Coronavirus, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informed that five laboratories have been set up with the help of the Central government for testing Coronavirus patients in UP.

"With assistance from the central government, we have set up five laboratories to provide the facility of sample checking of coronavirus cases in the state. King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and one in Aligarh," said Adityanath.

Speaking about the preparedness and preventive measures adopted by the State government to combat COVID-19, Yogi Adityanath said, "A total of 1,268 isolation beds are available in private and government hospitals across the State. We are taking all the necessary actions to deal with it."

READ | Lucknow Man Shows Coronavirus Symptoms, Hospitalised

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