Modi says tracking and common exit plan essential
PM stressed the necessity of maintaining supply of essential medical products, availability of raw material for manufacture of medicines and medical equipment
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sat with chief ministers on a video conference to discuss ways to check the spread of coronavirus, and sought their views on how to exit the lockdown.
“It is important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once the lockdown ends,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of social distancing, Modi claimed India has “achieved some success” in limiting the spread of Covid-19, as per a statement giving details of the interaction.
“In the next few weeks, testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine should remain the areas of focus,” he said.
The PM stressed the necessity of maintaining supply of essential medical products, availability of raw material for manufacture of medicines and medical equipment.
“Imperative to work on a war footing, identify Covid-19 hotspots, encircle them, ensure virus doesn’t spread,” Modi said.
“War has just begun now. We can never content. Let us no mistake.
Every 24 hours we must be alert; unitedly we must fight to defeat the outbreak of COVID19. This is a fight which must be fought by each of us. This is a war which cannot be left alone to health workers, policemen or the govt. Time is now for all different ideologies to unite to defeat the enemy of mankind.” Nine chief ministers participated in the meeting, while Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present. Modi, Shah and other ministers sat far apart from one another inside a large hall.
Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan updated the chief ministers of the status of the pandemic in India.
Modi and the leaders also discussed contacttracing of hundreds who attended an Islamic sect meeting in Delhi’s Nizamuddin linked to nearly 400 coronavirus cases.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will hold a video-conference from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday with Governors, Lieutenant Governors & Administrators to bolster the efforts at the Central & State levels on coronavirus pandemic.
Congress slams Centre The opposition Congress party said on Thursday that the 21-day lockdown may have been necessary, but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has resulted in chaos and pain among millions of migrant labourers.
Party interim chief Sonia Gandhi, speaking to members of the Congress Working Committee on video, said the country is in the midst of an unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis. She urged Congress leaders and workers to offer help to families by providing to families at extreme risk shelter, food and medicine “The magnitude of the challenge before us is daunting but our resolve to overcome it must be greater,” she said.
“In our country, those who are most vulnerable to the consequences of this pandemic are the poor and disadvantaged. We must come together for their sake and do all we can to support them through the difficult days that lie ahead,” she said. “It has been heart-breaking to see lakhs of people walking for hundreds of kilometres towards their villages without food or shelter. It is the duty of us all to do our utmost to lessen their suffering.” “As far as the Covid-19 virus is concerned, there is no alternative to constant and reliable testing. This is the most effective way to combat it,” she said.
“Farmers urgently require the availability of fertilizers and pesticides, access to easy lines of credit, forward guidance in preparing for the planting of the kharif crop. Above all proper remuneration prices are essential for them to be able to survive the present economic onslaught,” she said.
Sonia also mentioned those working in the unorganised sector, saying “the economic consequences of the pandemic threatens to destroy their livelihood. They are already facing tremendous hardship due to hunger and lack of health facilities. As a nation, we owe them our full and constructive support”.
“The choices we make today will have a direct impact tomorrow on our family, neighbourhood, community, environment and nation. How effectively we meet this challenge, how we protect all sections of our society, specially the most vulnerable among us will define us for generations to come,” she added.