Parliament on Monday passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2020 to include Covid-19 pandemic in the list of epidemic diseases and also include the stringent punishments to those attack doctors and healthcare workers. Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill earlier. During the pandemic, the Government had issued an Ordinance to protect doctors and healthcare workers after a series of reports of attacks against them. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan thanked the Lok Sabha MPs for passing the Bill unanimously and said society must observe zero-tolerance to any form of violence against healthcare service personnel and damage to property. As per its provisions, the commission or abetment of such acts of violence will be punishable with an imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000.