NEW DELHI: Citing a second wave of infections in other countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people not to rush to conclude that the battle against the virus had been won and to lower their guard until they have been vaccinated.
Speaking against the background of a steady drop in infections and the assessment that Covid-19 may have peaked in India, Modi said the threat from the virus was still alive, emphasizing that people can become complacent only at cost. of your family’s well-being. – being.
“We must bear in mind that the lockdown may be over, but the virus is still here. This is not the time to be careless or to believe that Covid-19 is over. If you are careless and move without a mask, you are putting yourself, your children and the elderly in your family at risk, ”Modi said in a televised speech.
The address, the Prime Minister’s seventh in Covid -19 since the imposition of the shutdown in March, appeared to have been prompted by widespread concern over growing complacency due to the steady drop in the number of infections and deaths.
The prime minister’s speech appeared to have been prompted by widespread concern over growing complacency and fears that this could lead people to abandon caution altogether in the festival season.
“This is absolutely wrong,” the prime minister said, citing Kabir and a verse from Ramcharitmanas to highlight the risk of underestimating the threat and premature celebrations. He said that while the situation in India seemed stable, “even a small mistake can lead to deterioration and spoil our happiness.”
He gave the example of the United States and Europe, which have to fight a “second wave” of infections just as the threat seemed to have receded.
“In the United States and Europe, corona cases had decreased but flared up again,” he added. Modi spoke about efforts to develop a “war footing” vaccine and said the government was working on a plan to ensure that the vaccine was delivered quickly to every citizen.
However, he stressed that masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing were the only defense against the virus until the vaccine became available. “Jab tak dawai nahin, tab tak dheelai nahin (precautions will be required until the vaccine arrives),” he said.
The prime minister noted the improvement in the situation, saying that India had fared much better than the resource-rich countries. But he made it clear that the government was not yet ready to raise the “mission accomplished” banner.
He said the death rate in India was 83 per million citizens, compared to 600 in developed countries such as the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and many others. Similarly, 5,500 people out of a million were infected in India, while the corresponding figure for the United States and Brazil was 25,000, he added.
Speaking against the background of a steady drop in infections and the assessment that Covid-19 may have peaked in India, Modi said the threat from the virus was still alive, emphasizing that people can become complacent only at cost. of your family’s well-being. – being.
“We must bear in mind that the lockdown may be over, but the virus is still here. This is not the time to be careless or to believe that Covid-19 is over. If you are careless and move without a mask, you are putting yourself, your children and the elderly in your family at risk, ”Modi said in a televised speech.
The address, the Prime Minister’s seventh in Covid -19 since the imposition of the shutdown in March, appeared to have been prompted by widespread concern over growing complacency due to the steady drop in the number of infections and deaths.
The prime minister’s speech appeared to have been prompted by widespread concern over growing complacency and fears that this could lead people to abandon caution altogether in the festival season.
“This is absolutely wrong,” the prime minister said, citing Kabir and a verse from Ramcharitmanas to highlight the risk of underestimating the threat and premature celebrations. He said that while the situation in India seemed stable, “even a small mistake can lead to deterioration and spoil our happiness.”
He gave the example of the United States and Europe, which have to fight a “second wave” of infections just as the threat seemed to have receded.
“In the United States and Europe, corona cases had decreased but flared up again,” he added. Modi spoke about efforts to develop a “war footing” vaccine and said the government was working on a plan to ensure that the vaccine was delivered quickly to every citizen.
However, he stressed that masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing were the only defense against the virus until the vaccine became available. “Jab tak dawai nahin, tab tak dheelai nahin (precautions will be required until the vaccine arrives),” he said.
The prime minister noted the improvement in the situation, saying that India had fared much better than the resource-rich countries. But he made it clear that the government was not yet ready to raise the “mission accomplished” banner.
He said the death rate in India was 83 per million citizens, compared to 600 in developed countries such as the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and many others. Similarly, 5,500 people out of a million were infected in India, while the corresponding figure for the United States and Brazil was 25,000, he added.
.
