NEW DELHI: Both the national and state child rights commissions have written to the district authorities asking them to take necessary steps to protect children from covid-19 at Shaheen Bagh protest site. The National Commission for Child Rights has asked the DM to take steps and follow the advisories on social distancing and mass gatherings issued by the central government and Delhi government to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus . A report has been sought by the Commission with three days.The NCPCR’s letter to the DM follows a complaint received by the Commission on Tuesday regarding the presence of children during protests and the dangers they face in view of the spread of coronavirus.The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights too wrote to the district authorities on Wednesday expressing concern. “Delhi has been witnessing sit-in protests at Shaheen Bagh against the new citizenship law for over 90 days. Given the circumstances, the Commission advises taking all the necessary precautionary measures to protect the children and their families protesting at Shaheen Bagh,” DCPCR member Rita Singh states in her letter to district magistrate south.“An advisory on social distancing measures in view of the spread of covid-19 cases in India has been issued by the ministry of health and family welfare whereby one of the many interventions proposed is local authorities to have a dialogue with opinion leaders and religious leaders to regulate mass gatherings and should ensure no overcrowding / at least one-metre distance between people,” Singh cites in her letter.She goes on to point that the Delhi government also issued an order dated March 16 restricting mass gatherings for any event (social, cultural, political, religious, academic, sports, seminar and conference 9except marriage) to a maximum of 50 persons till March 31.To drive home her point she cites that WHO has declared the Novel Coronavirus affecting 72 countries as International Public Health Emergency of international concern.