COVID-19: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi opens control room

The control room will function under the supervision K.C. Venugopal

Sonia Gandhi | Twitter Sonia Gandhi | Twitter

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday set up a control room in Delhi on COVID-19 to coordinate with party’s state organisations to step up humanitarian help for those affected by the virus spread and the nationwide lockdown.

The control room will function under the supervision of AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and consists of MP Rajiv Satav, former MLA Devendra Yadav and AICC secretary Manish Chatrath.

“Congress President, Smt Sonia Gandhi has approved the setting up of a a Central Control Room’ at AICC, comprising ,Rajiv Satav, MP , Devendra Yadav, Ex MLA, and Manish Chatrath, Secretary, AICC for the purpose of coordinating all COVID2019, related matters," Venugopal said in a press release.

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The state committees will update the central control room on a daily basis on the actual ground situation with regards to the spread of the virus, the medical preparedness of the respective state governments, as also the relief work undertaken by the party and state agencies, the release said.

The suggestion for setting up a control room was raised by party’s state leaders who had also demanded that Sonia Gandhi and ex-president Rahul Gandhi interact with party workers and general public on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 1,199 on Saturday while the death toll reached 29.

The health ministry, however, clarified that the country has not yet reached the community transmission stage.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of eight COVID-19 deaths so far, followed by Gujarat (6), Karnataka (3), Madhya Pradesh (2), Delhi (2) and Jammu and Kashmir (2) and West Bengal (2).

India has imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the deadly virus and has suspended all the flight, rail, metro and interstate bus services.

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