Covid-19: India’s armed forces to conduct fly-pasts, shower petals on hospitals

India's defence forces will conduct fly-pasts by fighter and transport aircraft and shower petals from helicopters on hospitals treating coronavirus patients tomorrow in a show of gratitude to doctors, medical staff and other frontline health workers battling the pandemic.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin C Rawat told the media that to show solidarity with the coronavirus warriors, the armed forces will be organising a fly-past by fighter and transport planes of the Air Force from Srinagar in the North-West to Thiruvanthapuram in deep South-East and from Dibrugarh in the East to Kutch in the West tomorrow.

The helicopters of Indian Air Force and Navy will shower flower petals on hospitals treating Covid-19 patients in most districts, our New Delhi correspondent reports, quoting Rawat.

The Navy and Coast Guard will move ships in formations at sea at selected locations and army bands will play tunes outside the hospitals where Covid-19 patients are admitted in an expression of gratitude to the corona warriors, said Rawat.

"We (wish to) convey our gratitude to each and every corona warrior and all the citizens of our nation," he added.

Covid-19 has so far claimed 1,218 lives and affected more than 37,000 people across India with 2,293 positive cases rising in the last 24 hours, according to a health ministry update this morning.

Rawat made the announcement, alongside the three service chiefs, shortly before the home ministry released a statement extending the nationwide coronavirus lockdown by two weeks from tomorrow.

The announcements by the chief of defencestaff were welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I welcome the announcements by the Chief of Defence Staff. India has waged a strong fight against Covid-19 due to the courageous frontline warriors who have cared and cured many. They are spectacular. India applauds them and their families," Modi tweeted.

He said, "Indian armed forces have always kept the nation safe. Even in times of disasters, they are out there helping people. Now, our Forces are, in a unique way, saying a big thank you to our frontline Covid-19 warriors for their endeavour towards making India Covid-19-free."