NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday noted that high number of Covid-19 cases in Kerala and Maharashtra are worrisome. He mentioned in his interaction with chief ministers that similar trends were seen during January-February before the second wave.
“All of us are at a point where apprehensions of the third wave (of the pandemic) are continuously expressed. Despite experts giving positive signals due to the downward trends, increasing number of cases in a few states is still worrisome.
During the last week, 80 per cent of the cases as well as 84 per cent of the fatalities came from these states,” remarked the Prime Minister in his closing remarks. He was interacting with chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala.
Modi underlined the need for proactive measures in states where cases are rising to prevent the possibility of the third wave. He underlined the expert’s view that if cases keep on rising for a long time, chances of mutation of the virus will also increase and dangers of new variants will rise.
He also expressed concern over the rise of cases in Europe, America, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. “This should alert us and the world. Corona is not over,” said the Prime Minister, expressing concern over pictures coming post lockdown. He emphasised the need to follow protocol and avoid crowding, while exhorting political parties, social organizations, and NGOs to spread awareness.
Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned during the meeting some of these six states have a very high test positivity rate as well. The chief ministers talked about steps taken to boost medical infrastructure. They gave suggestions to deal with possible rise of cases in future. They also discussed post-Covid issues faced by patients.
