India's response to Coronvirus pre-emptive, pro-active, graded: Govt

India’s response to COVID-19 has been “pre-emptive, pro-active and graded”, the government said on Saturday, brushing aside the allegations that the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced without any planning.

The government said it had already put in place a “comprehensive response system” at its borders much before the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern on January 30.

The government has come in for criticism that the lockdown was done without planning and also for the fact that migrant labourers are stranded across the country without resources. The government said screening of incoming air passengers followed by suspension of visas and and ban on international flights was done much ahead of any other country.