“By the way the Indians have come together to fight the coronavirus in recent months, we have shown that the world is wrong,” Modi said Sunday, delivering his monthly radio address to the nation.
Modi said the coronavirus recovery rate was better in India than in other countries, but warned that the threat of the disease persisted.
“We need to remain vigilant. We must remember that the coronavirus remains as dangerous as it was in the beginning,” he added.
India registered 48,661 new cases on Sunday. The situation is particularly serious in Delhi, the most affected city in the country.
Research by the National Center for Disease Control in India suggests that almost one in four Delhi residents has contracted the virus.
India’s government placed the country under lock and key on March 25, when it had only 519 cases and 10 deaths.
But the restrictions placed many citizens of the country in an impossible position. Thousands of daily wage earners were left without work or food, and many made long and sometimes fatal trips back home to distant states.
When the restrictions were partially relaxed on May 30, India had more than 180,000 cases, and increased.
Among those who contracted the disease is the prime minister of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who said Saturday that he had tested positive for the virus.
“My dear compatriots, I was having symptoms of Covid-19 and after a test my report came back positive. I am following all the guidelines and will be quarantined based on the doctor’s advice,” Chouhan said in a series of tweets.
He also appealed to colleagues and individuals to take precautions to avoid infection and urged those who had come into contact with him to be tested.
CNN’s Vedika Sud, Esha Mitra and Nectar Gan contributed to this report.
Rishabh M. Pratap reported from New Delhi. Zamira Rahim wrote in London.
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