Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation over the COVID-19 situation in the country. During the address, PM Modi stressed that lockdown should be the last option and requested states to focus on micro-containment zones to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.
In his address to the nation, PM Modi said the people were undergoing suffering but "we need to fight it out with all our might" and expressed confidence that the coronavirus will be defeated with the combined efforts of the people.
PM Modi's address: Key points
1. The demand for oxygen has risen significantly in the second wave of COVID-19 and all stakeholders are working collectively to meet this challenge, said PM Modi.
2. The Prime Minister said he understands the pain of people who have lost their relatives and friends due to the disease. "I understand the pain you are going through and express my sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones due to COVID-19."
3. The prime minister said in his address noted that the country's pharma sector has taken serious steps to increase the production of vaccines as well as medicines.
4. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the efforts of the private sector during the pandemic. 'Our private sector has performed well during the pandemic,' he said.
5. In his address, PM said that the state governments must ensure the well-being of the migrants. He added that the Centre will take all steps to ensure that migrants are vaccinated in the states they reside in. "States must tell migrant workers they will be vaccinated in next few days and their job will remain with them," he said.
6. The prime minister said that lockdown should be the last resort for states and that the focus should be on micro-containment zones. "If we all follow COVID-19 protocols, there'll be no need to impose lockdowns," Modi said.
7. He concluded his address by reminding the nation of the mantra 'Dawai bhi, Kadhai bhi' to fight with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister had earlier in the day interacted with vaccine manufacturers in the country via video conferencing and urged them to continuously scale up the production capacity to vaccinate people in the shortest possible time.