In his seventh address to the nation in seven months since the outbreak of the pandemic, PM Modi on Tuesday appealed to the citizens of India to stay indoors during the festive season and not take the virus lightly although there is some relaxation in lockdown. He said the ongoing fight against the virus will not be over till vaccines are out to combat the deadly virus.

 

The last few months have been very challenging for both developing and developed nations. The pandemic was quite a blow in the face for all as no country was prepared in advance to deal with the virus. Lack of knowledge about the virus, limited resources and negligence on the part of the citizens in the initial days led to a steady rise in the spread of the virus.

Even countries like USA and Brazil who have a strong healthcare system and adequate resources to combat the virus had a huge amount of casualties. Applauding the doctors and essential workers PM Modi said that India on the other hand with such a large population managed to curb the spread of the virus within months and had very few fatal cases as compared to other developed nations. In India, for every 10 lakh citizens about 5500 were infected with the virus, while in countries like the US and Brazil the figure was nearly 25000. He also mentioned that India is in a much better position than it was a few months back.

India on Tuesday reported less than 50,000 new cases for the first time in nearly three months according to the Union Health ministry data. It is the result of collaborative effort of the states  that the percentage of active cases have fallen below 10%. Countrywide testing, immediate surveillance and effective treatment is the reason why there is a dip in number of active cases. Today the total positive cases in the country are less than 7.5 lakh (7,48,538) comprising just 9.85% of the total cases. The economy is getting back on track, the number of recoveries are exceeding the fatality rate and the vaccine is in making. The difference between active cases and recovered cases is increasing steadily and is 59,84,790 today with total recovered cases having crossed 67 lakhs (67,33,328). Maharashtra has more than 15,000 single day recoveries followed by Karnataka with more than 8,000 recoveries.

The Prime Minister urged the people not to lower their guards or be complacent as the vaccines are not out yet and the fear of the virus is still lurking. The scientists in the country are working towards the preparation of the vaccine and some of them are at an advanced stage. He also said that the Government is preparing a detailed plan so that the vaccine can reach every citizen of India at the earliest.

Festivals are the time when shops have maximum footfall and that is where the fear of contacting the virus lies. Any carelessness on the part of an individual can be fatal for many. All the pandal hopping and lavish gatherings can wait this year and people need to look at the bigger picture. He also mentioned that he has seen many people roaming around without masks and not taking necessary precautions. "The lockdown is over but the virus is still there", said PM Modi.

The mantra still remains  - stay at home, wash hands with soap and water frequently, maintain social distancing and not step out without masks and sanitizers.