Food delivery platform Swiggy announced on Thursday that it will be prioritising Genie deliveries —  the company's pick up and drop service — as India is witnessing increasing Covid-19 cases in the second wave of coronavirus. 

Swiggy said that Genie has been used to ferry a range of necessities, from over the counter (OTC) medicines, oxymeters, thermometers, home cooked meals, care packages and grocery.

The company said it witnessed a 350% increase in the delivery of OTC medicines through Swiggy Genie in the last 15 days, compared to the same period last month.

Almost half a million home cooked meals and tiffins have been ferried in the same period, the company said. It added that citizens who are cooking meals to help those in need have also been using the service to ferry the food.

Genie orders, Swiggy said, will now have dedicated customer care support. In a statement, the company said prioritisation of Swiggy Genie orders will be of help for those recovering at home or taking care of someone with medical necessities, grocery needs or home cooked meals.

"We are overwhelmed with messages from consumers expressing how Swiggy Genie has been a lifeline in these tough times. With several cities under lockdown, and family or friends to take care of, Swiggy Genie has delivered necessities like home-cooked meals, OTC medicines, test reports and grocery to the doorsteps of Indians," Vivek Sunder, COO at Swiggy said, in the statement.

"Considering the criticality of the service, we are now prioritising Genie deliveries. We urge users to stay indoors and we will do our best to get them whatever they need while also keeping the safety of our partners top of mind," Sundar said.

The service is present in 65 cities in India.