Caritas India plans to set up an emergency task force to meet the corona virus epidemic spreading across the country. The social action wing of the Catholic bishops in India also plans to hold an emergency meeting at the national level to evaluate the situation and plan the next course of action, says its executive director Fr Paul Moonjely.

Caritas India is already involved in the corona virus emergency. “We are going to reach out to isolated communities and support them,” Fr Moonjely explained to asianews.it.

As part of its strategy, the Catholic charity’s public relations and communications manager Patrick Hansda issued an advisory for all the staff, partners and beneficiaries, urging them to follow prevention instructions to reduce the risk of contagion. Meanwhile, the outbreak continues to progress across the country. A 64-year-old man died in Mumbai on March 17, taking the number of corona virus-linked deaths in the country to three. The total number of infected people has reached 142, including the first positive case in West Bengal.