New Delhi, Mar 30 (IANS): New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be used as a quarantine facility to house patients infected by the coronavirus pandemic. The District Magistrate in its order to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Monday morning had requisited the complex for quarantine purposes as the country grapples with the pandemic that has infected more than 1000 people in India.

This isn't the first SAI facility that will be used as a quarantine facility with the boxing training centre in Rohtak, Haryana and the SAI Training Facility at the National Institute of Sport (NIS) in Patiala, Punjab both being used now as quarantine facilities.

The Sports Ministry had on March 22 announced that facilities under SAI across the country will be made available for usage as quarantine facilities.

Sports Secretary R.S. Jhulaniya had said that the facilities across the countries were available and could be used by the district administration whenever required.

"This is a matter of saving lives and wherever the government needs our help, we will provide," Jhulaniya told IANS.

"Our position is that if and when the local administration of a place says that it needs the facilities they can use them in whichever way they want."

With the coronavirus outbreak bringing the world to a standstill, people from all walks of life are trying their best to help fellow citizens to fight the pandemic and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Employees have now contributed Rs 76 lakh to PM CARES Fund. The money has been put together by Group A, B and C staff with 3, 2 and 1 days' salary respectively in March.