Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday wrote to the 21,752 "COVID Yoddhas" who responded to his call to render service to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, telling them their move had given him strength.

He said the work they would do in the fight against the outbreak would be service towards God and country.

"You have joined the fight as a soldier along with each and every citizen of the state. With you joining the fight, I get strength," Thackeray said in the letter.

Of the 21,752 people who responded to Thackeray's call to join the fight as "COVID yoddhas", or warriors against the COVID-19 outbreak, as many as 12,203 are from the medical profession, like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, ward boys, lab technicians, several of whom expressed willingness to be posted in the state's red zones.

Those who have responded also include teachers, security guards, social workers and others from non-medical fields, their numbers totaling 9,649, a statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said.

"As many as 3,716 have shown readiness to work in the red zones. In Mumbai, 3,766 applications were received, out of which 1785 are from the medical field. They have expressed readiness to work in the jumbo COVID facilities being created in the metropolis," it added.

Thackeray expressed gratitude by writing to them personally.