NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged people to avoid non-essential travel and large gatherings to break the chain of spread of coronavirus and said his government is fully vigilant about the situation.
He asked people to say "no to panic" and "yes to precautions".
In a series of tweets, he also said that no minister of the central government will travel abroad in the upcoming days.
"Across ministries and states, multiple steps have been pro-actively taken to ensure safety of all," he said, adding that these steps are wide-ranging, from suspension of visas to augmenting healthcare capacities.
"Say no to panic, say yes to precautions. No minister of the central government will travel abroad in the upcoming days. I urge our countrymen to also avoid non-essential travel," Modi said.
"We can break the chain of spread and ensure safety of all by avoiding large gatherings," he said.
According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of coronavirus patients in the country has risen to 73 with 13 fresh cases, including one foreign national.