New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked states to press on with full strength in opening economic activities alongside fighting the coronavirus pandemic and suggested that they should now focus on “micro-containment zones” to curb the disease.
In a review meeting through video conference with chief ministers and representatives of seven states with a high burden of COVID-19 cases, Modi said having micro containment zones will help states in dealing with the spread of the infection and also allow normal activities to continue.
The prime minister also questioned the efficacy of one or two-day local lockdowns imposed by certain states from time to time and asked them to reassess as to how effective they are in curbing the disease.
“Is it that this is creating difficulties in the resumption of economic activities in your states? This is my request that all states consider it seriously,” he said.
Several states, including West Bengal and Punjab, have time to time imposed local lockdowns to contain the virus spread.
He noted that only 60 districts out of more than 700 districts across the country, and that too in just seven states, have a high load of cases and therefore a cause of concern.
He suggested to chief ministers to draft a one-week programme to interact directly with officials in a few blocks of these places on a daily basis.
This will boost the messaging at the ground level and inject more seriousness and sincerity in fighting the pandemic, he said.
The nationwide lockdown after the pandemic’s outbreak benefitted us a lot, and the world has also lauded it, the prime minister said and then asked states to now focus on micro-containment zones.
“We should now focus only on micro-containment zones so that coronavirus spread is curbed and normal activities of life will also continue… We have to enhance our focus on effective testing, tracing, treatment, surveillance and clear messaging,” he said.
“We have to continue with the patience, empathy, dialogue and cooperation which the country has displayed during these corona times. While battling the infection, we have to press on with full strength on the economic front,” Modi added.
Chief ministers and other representatives, including health ministers, of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Punjab attended the meeting. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also participated in the meeting.
An official statement had earlier said that more than 63 per of the active cases in the country are concentrated in these seven states.
These states also account for 65.5 per cent of the total confirmed cases and 77 per cent of the total deaths.
The prime minister told states to further enhance their focus on effective testing, tracing, treatment, surveillance and clear messaging.
He asked states to adopt and encourage best practices in containing the virus.
The prime minister said it has to be ensured that medicines move unhindered from one state to another and noted that India has also been able to supply medicines across the world during such hard times.
Hindrance in the inter-state movement of services and people adversely affect the normal life and livelihood, he said and asked states to continuously monitor supply chains.
India’s caseload mounted to 56,46,010 with 83,347 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 90,020 with 1,085 people succumbing to the disease in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am on Wednesday showed.
Sisodia hospitalised
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was admitted to the ICU of the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital on Wednesday due to coronavirus infection, and his condition is stable.
The 48-year-old AAP leader was admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital at around 4 PM. An official said that the deputy chief minister has no comorbidities. (PTI)
