Modi reviews country’s pandemic situation

3,21,588 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country

THEY DISCUSSED the situation in the states and Union Territories, including Delhi, where Coronavirus cases have been rising, the government said in a statement.

AS PER the Union health ministry’s data, till Saturday,

3,21,588 cases of Coronavirus infection have been reported in the country. In the last 24 hours,

11,458 patients tested positive, the highest single-day spike, while the death toll rose to 8,884.

As the number of Coronavirus cases in the country continue to increase at an alarming rate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the nation’s response to the pandemic with senior ministers and top bureaucrats.

Home minister Amit Shah, health minister Harsh Vardhan and the principal secretary to PM Modi, among others, attended the meeting. They discussed the situation in the states and Union Territories, including Delhi, where coronavirus cases have been rising, the government said in a statement.

“During the meet, it was observed that two-thirds of India’s Covid-19 infection load are in five states with an overwhelming proportion of cases in big cities,” the statement said. As per the Union health ministry’s data, till Saturday, 3,21,588 cases of Coronavirus infection have been reported in the country. In the last 24 hours, 11,458 patients tested positive, the highest single-day spike, while the death toll rose to 8,884. In just 10 days, one lakh cases have been reported in the country.

India took 64 days to cross the 1 lakh-mark from 100 cases, then in another fortnight it reached the grim milestone of two lakh cases.

At the meeting, a senior member of the government think-tank NITI Aayog gave a presentation on where the pandemic is likely heading in the medium term.

Vinod Paul, NITI Aayog member and convenor of the Empowered Group of Medical Emergency Management Plan, in his presentation said out of the total cases, two-thirds are in five states with an overwhelming proportion of cases in big cities.

The Covid-19 situation in Delhi was discussed and projections for two months were analysed. Mr Modi suggested that Mr Shah and Harsh Vardhan call an emergency meeting with the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior bureaucrats and municipal corporation leaders to make a comprehensive plan to fight Covid-19 in the national capital., where cases have risen to 37,000.