With the onset of the festival season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said this is not the time to be careless as the novel coronavirus is still around and even a small negligence can dampen the festive spirit.
In his seventh address to the nation following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi said many videos have surfaced in recent times that show many people having stopped taking precautions.
"This is not the right thing to do," he said.
"If you are careless and moving around without mask, you are putting yourself, children and the elderly at risk," the prime minister said.
"We must keep in mind that lockdown may have ended, but the virus is still there," he said.
In Europe, America and other countries, the number of cases have seen a hike yet again after seeing a decline in the past, he noted.
We should continue to be careful and not be callous until a vaccine is found, Modi said.
The prime minister said the government is making all efforts to ensure that a vaccine, whenever it is launched, reaches every Indian.
"We all must remember, there can be no laxity till a medicine is found," Modi said.