A Miniature Sheet consisting of 4 nos. of postage stamp on the COVID-19 Warriors :

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 24, 2020

Issued for : As of 8^th July, 2020, more than 11 million cases of COVID-19 have been detected in more than 200 countries and more than 0.5 million people have lost their lives. As of 10^th July, 2020 there are more than 2.76 lakh active COVID-19 cases in India and the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 21 thousand lives in India. There are sections of our society that are rendering yeoman’s service in the country’s fight against COVID-19. Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of four Commemorative Postage Stamps and a Miniature Sheet to pay a tribute to these COVID-19 Warriors.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure : Shri Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation Cachet : Smt Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1000 Paise (4)

About : 

• The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ on 30^th January, 2020 owing to an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology since December, 2019. Thereafter, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak of 2003. WHO announced “COVID-19” as the name of this new disease on 11th February, 2020, following guidelines previously developed with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
• Subsequently, WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic (a pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease) on 11^th March, 2020 and reiterated the call for countries to take immediate action and scale up response to detect, treat and reduce transmission to save people’s lives. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India announced a total lockdown in the country effective from midnight on 25^th March, 2020 which was later extended till 31^st May, 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19. Government of India has been taking all necessary steps to ensure that India is prepared well to face the challenge and threat posed by the growing pandemic of COVID-19.
• COVID-19 warriors, viz. doctors, nurses and health professionals, Police, sanitation workers, Post office and Bank employees and other Government officials involved in providing essential services are leading from the front in serving the people during these trying times.
• Health professionals including doctors and nurses are at the front line of the COVID-19 outbreak response and engaged in a gamut of activities ranging from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and supportive care. They are exposed to hazards that put them at the risk of infection. Hazards include pathogen exposure, long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue and occupational burnout. However, battling all odds, health professionals across India have been rendering stellar service in the battle against COVID-19. Union Government has created an online data pool on https://covidwarriors.gov.in of (among others) doctors, nurses and other health care professionals. As part of this online data pool, more than 11 Lakh doctors and 17 Lakh nurses across India have been listed for use by the ground level administration at state, district or municipal levels in the fight against COVID-19.
• Police and law enforcement officials play a crucial role in contributing to the effort to control the spread of COVID-19 disease by enforcing social distancing and the strict implementation of the lockdown, promoting safer communities and fighting criminals who take advantage of the outbreak. They are guarding containment zones, enforcing the lockdown and home quarantines and carrying out high-risk evacuations.
• An estimated five million sanitation workers in the country put their lives at risk every day and play a critical role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring our streets, parks, sewers, septic tanks, communities, public toilets and public spaces are kept clean and hygienic.
• Recognizing the key services offered by Post offices and banks, they have been exempted from lockdown restrictions in view of COVID-19. Banks have been operating Mobile ATMs and offering services such as cash deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearances, remittances and government transactions besides offering schemes such as additional liquidity facility for MSME borrowers and other segments including agriculture and self-help groups. Department of Posts operates the world’s largest postal service and relying upon its robust and extensive network, has been delivering everything from lifesaving drugs to COVID-19 test kits, to N95 masks, ventilators and other medical equipment. Further, as on 8^th July, 2020 officials of Department of Posts facilitated more than 13 crore transactions worth Rs. 2.59 Lakh crore in Postal Savings Bank accounts, 5.36 crore transactions worth more than Rs. 13,000 crore via India Post Payments Bank and 1.63 crore Aadhar Enabled Payments System (AEPS) transactions worth Rs. 3,249 crore.
• The Vande Bharat Mission that aims at bringing home Indians stranded in many countries due to COVID-19 pandemic has come as a much needed relief to the Indians abroad and to their near and dear ones at home. The Mission began on 7^th May, 2020 with two flights landing in Kochi and Kozhikode from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Subsequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs order regarding movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places by special trains, Indian Railways operated several “Shramik Special” trains. These trains ferried migrants to cities across the length and breadth of the country. In these Shramik Special Trains, maximum 1,200 passengers were accommodated so as to observe social distancing. Further, proper screening of passengers was ensured before boarding the train and during the journey, passengers were given free meals and water.
• Operation Samudra Setu was launched on 5^th May, 2020 as part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa, Airavat, Shardul and Magar participated in this operation which lasted over 55 days and involved traversing more than 23,000 kilometers by sea successfully bringing 3,992 Indian citizens back to their homeland. Rigorous medical/safety protocols, unique to the operating environment of ships, were implemented. This operation was undertaken by the Indian Navy in close coordination with Ministry of External Affairs, Home Affairs, health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State Governments.
• Text : Based on information available on internet.

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