PM reviews situation as country sees record on-day spike of 1.03 lakh Covid-19 cases
05 Apr 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 pandemic situation and vaccination programme in the country, as the number of new coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours rose to 1,03,558.
This is the biggest one-day spike in Covid-10 cases in the country ever since the pandemic began.
This takes the tally of reported coronavirus cases in the country to 1,25,89,067. The death toll has increased by 478 to 1,65,101.
As per union health ministry data, there are currently 7,41,830 active cases across the country, while 1,16,82,136 patients have been discharged so far, with 52,847 discharges reported in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, more than 79 million vaccine doses have been administered across the country till now, ever since the inoculation drive began on 16 January.
India's coronavirus curve had been steadily declining after reaching a peak of 90,000-plus cases in September. However, cases started increasing again rapidly over the last few weeks, with Maharashtra leading the surge.
During the review meeting, the prime minister emphasised that for sustainable Covid-19 management, awareness of the community and its involvement is paramount. He said a five-fold strategy of Testing, Tracing, Treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and Vaccination, if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment, would be effective in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
A special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 per cent mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places /workplaces and health facilities will be organised from 6 April to 14 April 2021
The Prime Minister highlighted the need to enforce the availability of hospital beds, testing facilities and timely hospitalisation, and avoid mortality under all circumstances by ramping up healthcare infrastructure, availability of oxygen, ventilators besides required logistics, and ensuring that clinical management protocols are followed across all hospitals as well as for those in-home care.
The prime minister directed that central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to Maharashtra in view of high case load and deaths, and to Punjab and Chhattisgarh because of the disproportionate number of deaths being reported there.
The prime minister highlighted the need to ensure effective implementation of containment measures, besides the involvement of community volunteers in active case search and management of containment zones. He exhorted that all states need to take required stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places witnessing high surge to curb the spread.