Prime Minister Naendra Modi will meet with the top ministers of the seven states most affected by the coronavirus.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the need to increasingly focus on “effective testing, tracing, treatment and surveillance” to control the coronavirus outbreak in the country. In his virtual review meeting with top ministers from seven states with the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country tonight, he also spoke of the need for clear messages to dispel rumors about testing.
“Effective messaging is also necessary because most COVID19 infections have no symptoms,” said PM Modi. “In such a situation, rumors can arise. It could raise doubts in people’s minds that the tests are bad. Some people also make the mistake of underestimating the severity of the infection,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi also called on states to re-evaluate whether the one- or two-day lockdowns are effective in containing COVID-19 and told them to press ahead in full force to open up economic activities while fighting the virus. “Micro-containment zones” should be the way forward to slow the spread of the infection and allow economic activities to continue, he said.
States that attended today’s meeting include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Punjab. More than 63 percent of active cases in the country are concentrated in these seven states, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing government officials.
States also account for 65.5 percent of total cases and 77 percent of total deaths.
Recently, some of the states such as Delhi and Punjab have seen an increase in cases. Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi have also seen higher numbers of deaths, with a fatality rate of more than 2.0 percent, authorities say.
India recorded 83,527 new coronavirus cases this morning, a 24-hour count, bringing the total to more than 56 lakh cases. The country has also seen more than 90,000 deaths. The second most affected country in the world after the United States, has been the highest daily count of cases since August.
State health ministers are also attending the meeting that started recently. In addition to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the case positivity rate for these states has also been seen above the national average of 8.52%.
Maharashtra remains the state hardest hit by the pandemic, with more than 12.42 lakh of COVID -19 cases and 33,015 deaths. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh follow.
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