New Delhi: Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, who joined back office on Monday, said all guidelines regarding COVID-19 will be followed and only senior officials and minimum required staff will be coming to office.

“Only senior officials and minimum required staff will be coming to the office today onwards. We will follow all guidelines regarding COVID-19,” Rijiju told ANI after arriving at the Sports Authority of India.

Asked about the situation in the North-East, Rijiju said, “People are maintaining social distance, awareness is there and they are following lockdown orders.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to control the spread of COVID-19.

India’s tally of positive COVID-19 cases rose to 9,152 following an increase of 796 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. (ANI)