(Image source from: livemint.com)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with the Chief Ministers of the states, discussed about a “staggered re-emergence” of the public after the Covid-19 lockdown opens on April 14, 2020.
Ahead of the message that the prime minister was about to share with the citizens of the country at 9 am in the morning, Modi discussed with the Chief Ministers to come up with their action plan to ensure a smooth resurgence of the entire country to ensure that the condition doesn’t take a turn for the worse.
PM Modi asked the CMs to come up with the “exit strategies” meaning that the government is unlikely to extend the lockdown past the 21 days mark.
Addressing this, a senior government official stated saying, “The idea is that the entire population should not be out on the streets once the lockdown ends. We cannot go straight from zero to 100% activity. We must slow down the opening up.”
A group of officers headed by Ajay Kumar Bhalla are working on the strategy to ensure better results for the exit from this lockdown that the country is under.
According to the reports, it is likely that the plan might be to keep some areas open while closing off the hotspots across the country to prevent resurgence of the virus. The movement of the senior citizens will also be limited as they are on a higher risk and are more vulnerable to this condition.
The official further reported saying, “All states need to agree on a common exit plan — there needs to be uniformity.”
PM Modi is likely going to hold another call with the Chief Ministers before April 14, 2020 to ensure a better and a more concrete plan of action for how the lockdown is likely going to be opened.
Even after the lockdown is removed, every citizen needs to take precaution to ensure maximum safety for themselves and also for the people around them. Wearing masks, washing hands and the basic hygiene routines are what are considered important during this time.
The same was advised as the global situation of the condition is still precarious, meaning that there are likelihood of the second wave of infection from coming up.
The PM also discussed about the ways in which the states could further augment the number of health care workers fighting this disease. The welfare payments involved will all be paid in stages so the banks are not overwhelmed.
The PMO further issued a statement saying, “To increase the availability of doctors, he asked the states to tap into the resource pool of AYUSH doctors, organise online training and utilise paramedical staff, NCC and NSS volunteers. In the next few weeks, testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine should remain the areas of focus.”
Modi even thanked the chief ministers for supporting the country and the decision of the lockdown which has helped contain the limit of the spread of the virus. But, the situation is still unsure and the likelihood of things getting worse is quite possible at this moment.
West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee skipped the call stating that she wasn’t on the list of those who were to speak. The CM of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan urged Modi to airlift the rapid testing kits from Hong Kong.
By Somapika Dutta
