The Centre on Sunday set up 11 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19, which has infected more than 1000 people in the country and killed more than 25 people. The groups - set up under the Disaster Management Act - are expected to set things back on track during the lockdown period, government sources said.
The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and take all necessary steps for their time bound implementation.
A senior health ministry official on Sunday told the media that secretary level officers have been involved in the matter and that each group has its particular focus area.
"These groups are empowered to identify problem areas and provide effective solutions, delineate policy, formulate plans, strategise operations, and take all necessary steps for effective and time-bound implementation of these plans," a communique from the health ministry read.
Sources said each group has senior representative from the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination. The Department of Expenditure has issued special instructions to enable expeditious decision making in procurement matters.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day "curfew-like" lockdown across the country, asserting that social distancing is the only way to counter the coronavirus.
In the televised address, he had appealed to people not to cross the ''lakshman rekha'' of their homes in the next three weeks.
But over the last five days since the announcement, the country has witnessed an exodus of migrant labourers from cities to villages - most of the daily wagers whose livelihood has been jeopardized by the lockdown. Today the government asked the states to seal borders and keep those who broke lockdown in 14-day compulsory quarantine.
From FLiRT To FLuQE: What To Know About The Latest Covid Variants Covid Still Kills 1,700 A Week Around World: WHO Universal Coronavirus Vaccine? New Jab Targets Even Unknown Threats Barack Obama Wants Joe Biden To Pull Out Of US Presidential Race: Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 32 Dead In Bangladesh Unrest, Protesters Set Fire To State TV Headquarters Comedy Legend Bob Newhart Dead At 94: Publicist Israeli Strike Kills Field Commander In Elite Hezbollah Unit: Report Delhi-San Francisco Air India Flight Diverted To Russia After Engine Glitch Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.