New Delhi, Mar 17 (IANS): The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a memorandum on Tuesday listing preventive measures to the ministries to contain the spread of coronavirus which includes replying on emails rather than sending files to other departments.

All ministries are asked to install thermal scanners at the entry gates of the building as well as making hand sanitizers available in government offices. Visitor entries are also asked to be curbed by the DoPT. "Routine issue of visitor/temporary passes should be suspended with immediate effect," the memorandum said.

The DoPT also instructed the ministries to hold meetings through video conferencing, as much as possible. Wherever large numbers of people are involved, such meetings need to be rescheduled as much as possible.

The instructions also ask to avoid non essential travel and even avoid sending files to offices while relying on emails.

The DoPT also asked immediate closure of all recreational facilities, gyms and even creches inside any government building.

While general hygiene of the building needs to be taken care of, the DoPT instruction asserts in very clear terms that if anyone feels symptomatic of coronavirus, they should immediately leave after informing their reporting heads. All department heads also asked to grant such leave requests, at the earliest.

Apart from these instructions, the DoPT has also given certain Do's and Don'ts to government ministries like washing hands with soap, using hand sanitizer, avoid hand shaking or spreading rumours.

India has so far witnessed 126 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three casualties.