Do Not Target Any Community, Area For Spread Of Coronavirus, Says Centre

Coronavirus: There is an urgent need to counter such prejudices, the government said.

Certain communities and neighbourhoods are being vilified based on false reports floating on social media and elsewhere, the government said on Wednesday, issuing an advisory to address the social stigma and discrimination surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The advisory comes after a spurt in coronavirus cases following a religious congregation organised by the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat at the its Markaz or headquarters in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, and instances of people blaming the Muslim community for the spread of the disease.

Public health emergencies during an outbreak of communicable diseases may cause fear and anxiety leading to prejudices against people and communities, social isolation and stigma, said the government advisory posted on the health ministry website.

Such behaviour may culminate into increased hostility, chaos and unnecessary social disruptions, the advisory said, urging people not to discriminate against any community or area for the spread of the novel coronavirus.

There is an urgent need to counter such prejudices and to rise as a community that is empowered with health literacy and responds appropriately in the face of this adversity, it said.

"Do not label any community or area for spread of COVID-19," the advisory said.

The advisory asked people not to spread on social media the names, identity or the locality of those affected by the virus or under quarantine. It also urged people to avoid spreading fear and panic.

The government said that despite all precautions, if anybody catches the infection, it is not their fault.

In a situation of distress, the patient and the family need support and cooperation, it said.

It must be noted that the condition is curable and most people recover from it, the advisory said.

The government also listed various do's and don'ts in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Do not target healthcare and sanitary workers or police. They are there to help you," the government told the people amid cases of harassment and social stigmatisation of healthcare and sanitation workers.

Cases have been reported of people affected with COVID-19 as well as healthcare workers, sanitary workers and police, who are in the frontline for management of the outbreak, facing discrimination on account of heightened fear and misinformation about the infection, the advisory said.

Even those who have recovered from COVID-19 face such discrimination, it noted.

It stressed that people must cross check any information related to COVID-19 from reliable sources before forwarding any messages on social media.