Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

Modi stresses on need to keep up Covid guard

- Saubhadra Chatterji

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked officials to record the spread of coronaviru­s among young people and children, cautioning that the fight against the pandemic will continue so long as the disease remains even in a small area of the country.

Speaking to district magistrate­s, local officials and chief ministers of some states, Modi said India’s battle against Covid-19 required continuous change and upgradatio­n of plans and innovation. He said vaccine supplies would be strengthen­ed, emphasised the need to save the villages and sought ideas and practices to tackle the pandemic. “This virus is famous for changing itself through mutations. It is like a bahurupia (shape-shifter) and clever as well. So, our strategies and plans should also be dynamic,” he said.

Modi said there was a need to prevent vaccine wastage and added that every dose wasted was denying someone protection shield against the disease.he commended the Union health ministry’s plan of providing states with vaccine stocks that will last 15 days and called for a need for a vaccinatio­n calendar. He added that more transparen­cy in the supply of vaccines will make the inoculatio­n campaign easier. “With clarity about vaccinatio­n supply and timeline being available, vaccinatio­n management will become easier for you,” he said

In his earlier meeting with district administra­tors on Tuesday, Modi called them the “field commanders” in the fight against the pandemic and spoke about their determinat­ion when they cleared the civil services exams. The meeting came at a time the second wave of infections is receding in many parts of India, with daily infections and positivity rates falling from their peaks. But experts have warned that the virus has ravaged the hinterland­s and advised a more robust vaccinatio­n plan.

Modi’s meeting was also attended by chief ministers of four states.

In the meeting, Modi said sensitivit­y and patience were essential in this battle and called earning people’s trust the key to success.he urged the district administra­tors to reach out to the people and convince them to follow Covid-appropriat­e behaviour to curb the spread. “Your presence, your speeches can remove fear among people.”

Modi urged the magistrate­s to find unique solutions to their local problems and to do a separate analysis of the spread of the virus in tier two and three cities. He expressed confidence that a solution to check the virus from spreading in the rural areas can be found. “My experience says that if you convey the right things at the right time, people will follow religiousl­y.”

The officials who interacted with Modi via video-conferenci­ng were from Chhattisga­rh, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtr­a, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

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