No time to let guard down in the fight against Corona: PM
21 Oct 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fervent appeal to all the citizens to not let their guard down and become complacent, in the country’s ongoing fight against the Covid pandemic..
While much of the lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the prime minister said the virus has not yet gone.
He appreciated the improvement in the situation all over the country and that economic activity is returning to normal and that people started moving out of their houses to fulfill the responsibilities.
Modi observed that markets have also started returning to normal with the advent of the festivities.
He said India is in a better situation due to the efforts of every Indian in the last 7-8 months and one should not let it deteriorate.
The prime minister noted that the recovery rate in the country has improved and the fatality rate is low. Modi stated that the infection rate is also lower at 5,500for every million population compared with 25,000 for million population in countries like the US and Brazil.
He said that the death rate in India is 83 for every million population, whereas in countries like the US, Brazil, Spain, Britain and many other countries it is about 600.
The prime minister appreciated that in comparison to many developed nations, India is better off in protecting lives of its citizens.
The prime minister mentioned the improvement of the Covid infrastructure in the country. He said more than 9 million beds are available for corona patients along with 12,000 Quarantine centres across the country.
He said over 2,000 Corona Testing 2,000 labs are functional all over the country, while the number of tests will soon cross 100 million.
He said India is succeeding in saving the lives of more and more of its citizens in comparison to the resource-rich countries and that the increasing number of tests has been a great strength in the country’s fight against the pandemic.
The prime minister lauded the efforts of the doctors, nurses and health workers who are selflessly serving such a large population, following the mantra of “Seva Parmo Dharma.”
He cautioned people against callousness amidst all these efforts and not to assume that the corona virus is gone, or that there is no danger from the virus now.
Cautioning the people who have stopped taking precautions of late, he said “If you are negligent and going out without a mask, you are exposing yourself, your family, your children, the elderly to the same amount of risk.”
The prime minister referred to the ongoing situation in the US and Europe where the number of cases of Corona initially decreased but then suddenly started increasing.
He urged the people not to be negligent until a vaccine against the pandemic is found and let the fight against the Covid-19 weaken.
Modi said efforts are on a war footing to save humanity and many countries, including by the country's scientists working on the production of vaccines. While work is going on various vaccines against corona and some of these are in an advanced stage, it is not yet ready and may take time.
The government, he said, is also preparing a detailed road map to reach the vaccine to every single citizen as soon as it is readily available. But that he said, is no reason to loosen guard.
“We are going through a difficult time and a little carelessness can lead to a great crisis,” he said and urged citizens to be vigilant while fulfilling their responsibilities.
He appealed to the citizens to maintain the 6 feet distance (Do Gaj ki Doori), to wash their hands with soap periodically and to wear face masks.