COVID-19: Bring your blankets, railways tells passengers

New Delhi: Passengers travelling in air conditioned coaches of Indian railways will now have to carry their own blankets and bed-sheets for a while now, as the railways has decided to withdraw facilities of blankets and curtains keeping in view the ongoing coronavirus threat.

“In order to prevent spread of COVID-19, blankets & curtains have been withdrawn from train service till further orders. Passengers are requested to bring their own blankets in their own interest.” a tweet by the Official Twitter handle of Divisional Railway Manager – Mumbai Division of Western Railway, read.

The Public Relation Officer (PRO) of Western Railways added that additional bed-sheets will be kept for any exigencies. “Some quantity of additional bed-sheets may be kept for any exigencies,” said the PRO.

The Chief PRO of Northern Railways also confirmed that the Northern division was also following the same and will withdraw blankets and curtains from their trains also.

Earlier on Saturday, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and the East Coast Railway (ECoR) said they decided to withdraw the provision of blankets and curtains in air-conditioned coaches of all trains they operate as part of its preventive measures against the coronavirus outbreak.

The ministry of health and family affairs on Sunday said that confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 107 so far.

The coronavirus outbreak was first reported in December last year in Wuhan city of China. The disease has affected more than 100 countries and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

IANS