New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked people to stay away from rumours regarding coronavirus and emphasised on the need to follow the advice of doctors in this regard.

He also asked people to avoid handshakes and start greeting others with 'namaste' once again.

Modi was interacting with owners of Jan Aushadhi Kendras and beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojna (PMBJP) through video conference.

"I appeal to my fellow countrymen to stay away from rumours regarding coronavirus," Modi said.

We need to follow the advice of doctors in this regard, he said. People should avoid handshakes and start greeting others with 'namaste' once again, the Prime Minister added.

Talking about the impact of the PMBJP initiative, he said every month, over one crore families are getting benefits of cheap medicines from these Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Over 6,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country have helped people save between Rs 2,000-2,500 crore, he added.

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Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.

The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.

It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.

On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.

Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.

The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.

Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.

Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.