Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that he will address the nation in the evening as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic with more than 7.5 million infections and 115,197 deaths recorded so far. “I will be sharing a message with my fellow citizens at 6 pm tonight,” tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
The Prime Minister urged people to join him, but did not elaborate on the message he will share. He has addressed the nation several times in recent months, from announcing a national lockdown to focusing on India’s battle against the coronavirus disease and the steps the government took to minimize the impact of the crisis.
His speech will come as the country is celebrating a number of festivals, including Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath, as experts warned against people lowering the standards of guard. In his June 30 speech, Prime Minister Modi said that people have become more irresponsible and careless with Covid-19 prevention guidelines since the inception of Unlock1.0. He reiterated the importance of social distancing and the use of masks.
Before that, he had addressed the nation on May 12 when he announced a financial package of Rs 20 lakh crore to fuel the recovery of the economy from the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Prime Minister Modi asked the nation on April 3, in a video message, to light lamps for frontline workers battling the coronavirus pandemic on April 5. On April 14, he extended the blockade period until May 3.
The prime minister announced a curfew in Janta, in his March 19 speech, and urged people to voluntarily stay home on March 22. On March 24, he announced a 21-day national shutdown. The government has lifted most of the restrictions that were put in place during the shutdown to slow the spread of the pandemic.
India recorded 46,790 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 587 related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s infection count to 7,597,063. The death toll in India has risen to 115,197. The number of Covid-19 cases and deaths has been relatively low for two days – there were 55,722 infections and 579 deaths on Monday. Active cases fell below the 800,000 mark to 748,538, for the fourth day in a row.
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