PM vows covid vaccine for every Indian
- Modi said as people work on a war-footing the world over to save humanity from covid-19, India, too, is actively engaged in vaccine development
The government will ensure that the covid-19 vaccine, whenever available, reaches each and every Indian as soon as possible, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
Modi said in a televised address to the nation that as people work on a war-footing the world over to save humanity from covid-19, India, too, is actively engaged in vaccine development. He said Indian scientists are in the process of developing several vaccines that are at different stages of clinical trials and the results seem encouraging.
Modi cautioned the nation that until there is a vaccine for covid-19, the guard against the disease shouldn’t be lowered. “From the Janata curfew till today, Indians have come a long way in our fight against corona. Over time, economic activity also seems to be gradually increasing. Most of us are stepping out of our homes every day to fulfil our responsibilities,” said Modi.
He cautioned that even though the lockdown has been eased, the threat from the virus remains. “In the last 7-8 months, we have put in major efforts. The situation has improved, and we should not let the situation deteriorate,” Modi said. He noted that the recovery rate in the country currently is good, and the death rate low. In India, about 5,500 people per million population have been infected by the coronavirus, whereas in countries like the US and Brazil, this figure is close to 25,000, he said.
Modi compared the covid situation in India with that in other countries—in India, he said, the death rate is 83 per million people, while in the US, Brazil, Spain, Britain, this figure is beyond 600. “India is succeeding in saving the lives of more and more of its citizens than the resource-rich countries of the world. Today, more than nine million beds are available for corona patients in our country. There are 12,000 quarantine centres.”
“The number of tests in the country will soon cross the 100 million mark. The increasing number of tests has been a major strength in the fight against covid-19.” Modi said doctors, nurses, health workers, security personnel and others have been serving a large population selflessly.
The Prime Minister said that amid all these efforts, this is not the time to be careless. “This is not the time to assume that corona is gone, or that there is no danger from corona now. In recent times, we have all seen many pictures, videos in which it is clear that many people have now stopped taking precautions,” Modi said.
“If you are careless, not wearing a mask, then you are putting yourself, your family, your children, the elderly in as much trouble. Keep in mind whether it is America today, or other countries in Europe, corona cases were decreasing in these countries, but suddenly they are increasing again, and are increasing alarmingly.”
Greeting the nation on the coming festivals, Modi said that festivals are a time of joy, but carelessness can undo the improvements on the corona front. Modi reiterated the need for social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
MoreLess
First Published:21 Oct 2020, 05:44 AM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High