India on right path, cases in many nations 30 times higher: PM Modi on Covid-19

TNN | Updated: Apr 15, 2020, 06:48 IST

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that India was on the right path in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and had done well compared to other big and prosperous nations. He said this could be possible due to the country's "quick and decisive action" and people responding to the lockdown like "disciplined soldiers".
"A month, month-and-a-half ago, several countries were on a par with India in terms of infection. But today, corona cases in those countries are 25 to 30 times that of India. Thousands have died. Had India not adopted a holistic and integrated approach, taking quick and decisive action, the situation today would have been different," he said.
Modi underlined that India had been proactive even before a single case surfaced in the country - screening of international passengers, 14-day isolation of international travellers, shutting of malls among others were taken at an early stage. His comments were seen as a response to criticism by some that not enough was done and some experts arguing that India had been deficient in testing for the disease.
The PM noted that India also proactively went into a nationwide lockdown and the country had benefited from it. He said notwithstanding the economic travails being faced, it was clearly the correct path as it protected many lives.