New Delhi, March 13 (IANS): The Congress on Friday slammed the government over its handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in the country and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should head the committee on Covid-19, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister was securing himself by not attending the Parliament and by not going for public functions.

Asserting that "Men should be in Men", Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that Modi should assure the country about the way the pandemic is being handled.

Surjewala said that if a certain area needs to be quarantined, who would take the decision? That is why the Prime Minister and the Home Minister should be part of the committee.

"If the army needs to be called, who will take the decision," he asked.

The Congress alleged that the government has mishandled the entire situation by allowing people to come into the country by just submitting a declaration, without knowing that coronavirus has an incubation period of 14 days. The Congress also alleged that the government did not treat the pandemic seriously.

With one more person returning from Italy testing positive for Covid-19 at the Indian Army's quarantine facility in Manesar, the total number of cases in India reached 81 on Friday.

Following the first death reported in Karnataka on Thursday night, all the states have pulled up their socks to combat the spread of the dreaded disease with many of them shutting down schools besides suspending public gatherings.

Globally, coronavirus death toll crossed 5,000 on Friday.