PM's address highlights: Lockdown gone but not the virus, don't let your guard down: Narendra Modi cautions ahead of festivals

PM Modi's address highlights: In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned people against complacency in fighting COVID-19 ahead of festival season. In the speech that lasted 12 minutes, the PM said that the lockdown may be over, but the virus persisted in India. This was PM Modi’s seventh such address to the nation since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic besides promising vaccine for every citizen once it is available. In his previous addresses, the prime minister had spoken about various measures being taken to curb the virus' spread and had also announced economic and welfare packages. This latest address was on on a day India reported around 46,700 new COVID-19 cases – the lowest single-day rise in nearly three months. New coronavirus infections in the country have fallen significantly and consistently since the end of September. But, experts have warned that not following safety measures during the upcoming festive season could lead to a massive surge in novel coronavirus infections.