Planes flying to ensure ICMR kits to test COVID-19 reach on time: Puri

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday (March 28) said aircrafts are crisscrossing the Indian airspace to ensure that the COVID-19 testing kits of the ICMR reach their destinations on time amidst a 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In a series of tweets, the minister gave the relevant details.

We are locked down, but not bogged down.

Our aviation officials & professionals are working round the clock with determination & patience. The aircraft are crisscrossing the skies to ensure that ICMR kits for testing Covid19 reach on time. pic.twitter.com/zDdabOLMLV

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 28, 2020

“The first flight on Friday morning has already delivered 1.4 tonnes of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) kits from Delhi to Aizawl, Kolkata and Hyderabad while another such movement of ICMR kits is in progress from Mumbai to Pune, Bengaluru & Thiruvananthapuram,” he wrote on Twitter.

A third such flight is delivering ICMR kits from Delhi to Pune & Patna from where it will possibly bring back testing kits of a pvt firm to Delhi which will then be flown to Ahmedabad. In the fourth flight an ATR is delivering ICMR kits from Kolkata to Dibrugarh.

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 28, 2020

Another aircraft is delivering the ICMR kits from Delhi to Pune and Patna, from where it will possibly bring back testing kits of a private firm to the national capital, which will then be flown to Ahmedabad, Puri said.

“In the fourth flight an ATR aircraft is delivering ICMR kits from Kolkata to Dibrugarh,” he stated.

The coronavirus has claimed 19 lives in India and infected 873 people till now, according to the latest data of the Union Health Ministry.

“We are locked down, but not bogged down. Our aviation officials & professionals are working round the clock with determination & patience. The aircraft are crisscrossing the skies to ensure that ICMR kits for testing COVID-19 reach on time,” Puri said.

India has launched a determined challenge to combat the spread of corona.

I am particularly proud of the efforts being made by our civil aviation sector in ensuring smooth supply of medical & essential items during the current lockdown. pic.twitter.com/E26E3sJSge

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 28, 2020

The extensive helicopter network has been kept on alert in the North Eastern Region for intra region movements. Our network can be activated if private agencies are interested to move medical kits/equipment.

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 28, 2020