Don't use alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting candles or diyas on Sunday: Govt
"Please refrain from using alcohol-based hand sanitisers tomorrow before lighting candles or diyas," K S Dhatwalia, Principal Director General of PIB, said at a media briefing.
The government on Saturday cautioned people against the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting candles or diyas on Sunday as they are inflammable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday had urged people to switch off lights at their homes and light lamps, candles or turn on mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat the novel coronavirus.
In a video message of over 11 minutes, Modi had also asked people to maintain the "lakshman rekha" of social distancing by staying indoors and not getting together in groups during the exercise.
"Please refrain from using alcohol-based hand sanitisers tomorrow before lighting candles or diyas," K S Dhatwalia, Principal Director General of PIB, said at a media briefing.
Modi had said once people everywhere light up lamps, diyas or display flashlights of their mobile phones at their doorsteps or balconies after turning off the lights at home, it will emerge in this "superpower" of brightness that "we are all fighting with a collective resolve".
While addressing the nation on April 3, Prime Minister even praised citizens for setting a “model” during janata curfew while paying gratitude to those battling coronavirus on the frontlines. “The way you paid gratitude has become a model being emulated by other countries,” he said.
More than a million cases of COVID-19 have been registered globally, according to the latest figures from Worldometers. The number of coronavirus cases in India has crossed 3000, with 86 fatalities.
In a statement, the government said, “The spread of coronavirus has been alarming and is posing severe health and economic ramifications for our country. The Prime Minister's office has been receiving spontaneous and innumerable requests for making generous donations to support the government in the wake of this emergency.”
(Disclaimer: Additional background information has been added to this PTI copy for context)
(Edited by Kanishk Singh)