PM Modi stresses on taking decisive steps to stem nationwide spread of COVID-19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the need to take quick and decisive steps to stop the emerging ‘second peak’ of Corona immediately. He warned that a countrywide outbreak can occur if this growing pandemic is not stopped now. Interacting with the Chief Ministers of various states yesterday regarding the COVID-19 situation via video conference, Prime Minister stressed the importance of solving the problems of local governance. He expressed concern about the high-test positivity rate in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and rising cases in Punjab.

Addressing the Chief Ministers, the Prime Minister said that more than 96 percent of the cases in India have recovered and India is having one of the lowest fatality rates in the world. He noted the need for provision of micro containment zones. He stressed the need to be serious about ‘Test, Track and Treat’ as has been done for the last one year. He said it is very important to track every infected person’s contacts in the shortest time and keep the RT-PCR test rate above 70 percent. He insisted on more RT-PCR tests in states which give more emphasis to Rapid antigen tests like Kerala, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.

The challenge of maintaining Covid appropriate behaviour in the general public was also discussed, in light of the recent rise in the number of cases in some states. Prime Minister remarked that there is a need to identify mutants of coronavirus and assess their effects. He also warned to take the problem of vaccine doses wastage very seriously. He noted the vaccine waste in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to the tune of 10 percent. He urged to immediately correct the drawbacks of planning and governance at the local level to reduce vaccine waste.