Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm today, this national address comes a day after he held his fifth video interaction with Chief Ministers of all the States and Union territories, after the national lockdown was announced in March. The PM in his address to the nation may share some of the points discussed by the CMs. However, as in the past when such an address is announced speculations start on whether the national lockdown will finally be lifted at the end of the week.
Shri @narendramodi will be addressing the nation at 8 PM this evening.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 12, 2020
In his meeting with the CMs the agenda was mapping the road ahead in India’s ongoing fight against curbing the spread of COVID-19. The PM has said that , “We now have reasonably clear indication as to the geographical spread of the pandemic in India, including the worst affected areas. Moreover, over the past few weeks, officials have understood operating procedures in a time such as this, right up to the District level.”
Had an extensive meeting with CMs. Each CM shared their perspective on battling COVID-19.
We discussed the way ahead in the post-COVID era, the challenges in healthcare, education and other sectors. https://t.co/0SZptVbzAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 11, 2020
According to the PM this information will fuel the next phase of the Coronavirus containment plan. “We can now further focus our strategy in this battle against coronavirus,” he said the “twofold challenge – to reduce the transmission rate of the disease, and to increase public activity gradually, while adhering to all the guidelines, and we will have to work towards achieving both these objectives.”
While these remarks from the PM hint at a gradual opening of more industries, offices, and allowing public movement in some places, speculations are also on about a possible extension of the lockdown in some other places.
The PM has said that he is “of the firm view that the measures needed in the first phase of lockdown were not needed during the 2nd phase and similarly the measures needed in the 3rd Phase are not needed in the fourth.” This is the hint that has put many on alert.
Some Chief Ministers may have sought a planned extension, and some others have suggested that the night curfew to curb movement also continue. Even as the Ministry of Railways has started special passenger trains, departing Delhi on return journeys across the country, from today the Prime Minister has said the effort now should be to stop the spread of the COVID-19 to rural areas. According to information shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) the Prime Minister has also said the ‘suggestions made by the States for a roadmap on Economy have been given due consideration’.
Taking a cue from the PM, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also announced that citizens should send suggestions to him on what they want as relaxations as the lockdown deadline looms this weekend. Delhiites have till 5pm tomorrow to send their suggestions by leaving a message on the toll-free number 1031, or via WhatsApp on 8800007722 or by emails to delhicm.suggestions@gmail.com to CM Kejriwal. He has already said that he wants the 11 COVID-19 Red Zones of Delhi to be redefined so the restrictions are enforced only in containment zones.
The Chief Ministers of other states have also sought support for MSMEs, Infrastructure projects like power, easing of interest rates on loans and assured market access to agricultural produce, stated PIB. They have also “highlighted the need to strengthen the medical and health infrastructure” and have also “pointed out that with the return of migrants, there is a need to concentrate on strict implementation of the social distancing guidelines, usage of masks and sanitization in order to curb the spread through fresh infection, especially in rural areas.”
The PM has said that the nation, must all plan for a new reality, “Even as we look at the gradual withdrawal of the lockdown, we should constantly remember that till we do not find a vaccine or a solution, the biggest weapon with us to fight the virus is social distancing.”
He repeated his mantra of ‘do gaz ki doori’ and shared a new slogan: “Jan Se lekar Jag Tak”, from an individual to the entire world.
The Prime Minister said, we will need an all-encompassing approach to deal with various challenges that will arise before us.With the onset of Monsoon, there will be proliferation of many non-COVID19 diseases, for which we must prepare and strengthen our medical and health systems.
According to PIB, the PM has asked the policy makers to also keep in mind how to embrace new models of teaching and learning in the education sector. The Prime Minister also said he saw “potential for domestic tourism but we need to think of the contours of the same”.
He has asked that the Chief Ministers send a lockdown feedback to him by May 15. “A broad strategy on how each one of you would want to deal with the lockdown regime in your particular state. I want states to make a blueprint on how to deal with various nuances during and after the gradual easing of the lockdown”, he is quoted as saying.
The Prime Minister said that we must understand that the World has fundamentally changed post COVID-19: ‘Now the World will be Pre-Corona, Post-Corona just like the case of the World Wars. And this would entail significant changes in how we function.’
Meanwhile, according to the government’s own data in the last 24 hours, 3,604 new COVID19 cases have confirmed and 87 people have died of the disease.
#CoronaWatch last 24 hours have seen 87 deaths and 3,604 new confirmed cases of #COVID19. Here is an roundup of the #coronavirus situation in the country till 8 am today pic.twitter.com/AZ7iOu5job
— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 12, 2020