Days before the start of an extended festival season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday warned citizens that the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was still active and present in India, there was no vaccine yet and citizens would be putting their Their own lives and those of their family members at risk if they were irresponsible with security measures such as social distancing rules and the use of masks.
Modi, in a speech to the nation, stressed that great work was being done, on the warpath, both globally and in India, to develop vaccines, some of which were in advanced stages of testing. “The government is working on a plan to ensure that vaccines reach all citizens,” he said.
“But until there are no medications,” he warned, “don’t let your guard down.”
The prime minister offered global examples, from the United States and European countries, to suggest that any laxity could lead to an increase in infections. He also gave Indian examples, citing recent videos and photographs, to suggest that there was a pattern of increasing neglect and fatigue from Covid-19 in the home.
He asked citizens to raise awareness about the risks of the disease as an act of national service.
“This is not the time for carelessness. This is not the time to think that Covid-19 is gone or that there is no danger from Covid-19. We have seen videos and photographs in recent days where it is clear that people are either not following the precautions or have been complacent. If you are careless and go out without a mask, you are putting yourself, your families, your elders and your children at risk, ”he said.
The prime minister’s comments, in a 12-minute speech that served as a warning and appeal, rather than one that made announcements about measures or guidelines, come days before the Vijayadashami festival, which often sees large congregations in pandals, especially in West Bengal. It also takes precedence over other festivals like Dussehra, Eid, Chatth, and Diwali, many of which are public festivals. The beginning of this period has caused tension between imperatives of public health (which stipulate distancing) on the one hand; and religious traditions (where the expression of faith is often public), and economic considerations (this is a season that sees increased consumer spending) on the other.
Weighing in favor of public health needs, but with some degree of festivity and economic activity, the Prime Minister said: “From the curfew of Janata (March 22) until now, the indigenous people have come a long way. Over time, economic activity has also slowly recovered. Most of us leave our homes. There is also activity in the markets. But we must not forget that even if the blockade has disappeared, the virus has not yet done so ”.
Saying that India had achieved relative success in the battle against Covid-19, Modi said that there was a “controlled situation” at the moment, but that this should not get worse, and instead the effort should be to build on it. He cited data (5,500 cases and 83 deaths per million in India versus about 2,500 cases and 600 deaths per million in countries like the United States and Brazil) to emphasize that India has a high recovery rate and a low mortality rate. India too, he said, now has nine million beds for Covid-19 patients, 12,000 quarantine centers and 2,000 laboratories; and is close to completing 100 million tests.
India has 7.65 million cases of Covid-19, the second highest in the world after the US, but its death rate of 1.5% is significantly better than that of the most severely affected countries, as well as the world average of 2.8%.
The prime minister pointed to the US and Europe, and said that after a drop in cases, there was a “worrying spike” in cases in these geographies again, saying that until there is a vaccine, there should be no no weakness in battle. against Covid-19.
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Congress said the Prime Minister should come up with concrete solutions to control the Covid-19 pandemic and revive the economy instead of giving “clear speeches.” After the prime minister’s speech, the head of Congress, Randeep Surjewala, said that the Modi government has “failed” on both fronts and that India has become the “crown capital” of the world with the “largest” number. daily cases and deaths. “It is easy to give sermons. The country does not need simple speeches but concrete solutions, “he said in a tweet, quoting a phrase from Saint Tulsidas.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “Addressing the nation for the seventh time since the imposition of the shutdown, Prime Minister Modi dismissed all shortcomings in addressing the pandemic and stated that the management of the governments was a success. “
“It is very good that the Prime Minister raised the issue of festival celebrations … even if festivals have to be celebrated, people should do it with their families inside their homes instead of shopping or going to crowded places.” said Dr. Jugal Kishore, head of the community medicine department at Safdarjung Hospital.
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