Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon the nation to united and work on a war footing to break the chain of the second wave of Coronavirus which is sweeping through the country at the moment.Addressing the chief ministers of many states on a day when the country logged over 100,000 Covid-19 cases for the second time this year, the Prime Minister called for a mass vaccination programme from April 11-14 for the eligible people with zero wastage and optimal use of resources.Here are highlights of his speech:
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* Today, some things are clear to us. We need to pay special attention to them:-> Firstly, the country has crossed the peak of the first wave. And this time, the growth rate is faster than before.-> Secondly, many states, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, have also crossed the first wave peak. Some other states are also moving towards this. This is a matter of concern for all of us. This is a serious concern.-> Thirdly, this time, people have become more casual than before. In such a situation, this sudden increase of corona cases has created problems.
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* We have to work again on a war footing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Despite challenges, we have a better experience, resources, and vaccines than ever before. Along with public participation, our hard-working doctors and healthcare staff have helped a lot in handling the situation and are still doing it today.* We have to emphasize 'test, track, treat', Covid-appropriate behaviour and Covid management.* We won the battle against Coronavirus without a vaccine. I was not even sure whether a vaccine would come or not. Today, we do not have to be afraid. We can win the battle again in the same way we fought the battle.
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* Our target must be to test at least 30 contacts for every person testing positive in 72 hours. The borders of containment zones should be clearly earmarked.* We have to increase testing a lot. We must bring down positive rate below 5%. Our target is to do 70% RT-PCR tests.
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* Along with the vaccination, we also have to keep in mind that there is no negligence even after the vaccine is administered. We have to keep reminding people that masks and precautions are necessary even after vaccination.* India has vaccinated 40 lakh people in one day. Our criteria for administering the vaccine is not different from what has been adopted by the world's most developed nations.* A major aspect of Covid management is also to prevent vaccine wastage. With the advice, suggestions and consensus of the state governments regarding vaccine, an appropriate nationwide strategy has been made.
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