PM asks states with rising COVID-19 cases to take proactive steps to prevent third wave

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged states where COVID-19 cases are rising to take proactive measures to prevent a third wave and stressed moving forward with the strategy of test, track, treat, and 'tika (vaccine)'.

Modi said apprehensions about a third wave of the coronavirus are being expressed with several cases in some states a matter of concern.

During an interaction with chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Kerala, he said that 80 percent of the new Covid cases last week were from these states.

The rise in Covid cases in Maharashtra and Kerala is a matter of grave concern for the country, Modi said.

It is very important that the states, where cases are increasing, should take proactive measures to prevent any possibility of a third wave, the prime minister said.

''We have to move forward with our strategy of the test, track, treat, and tika,'' Modi said, adding that special attention needs to be paid to micro-containment zones.

Emphasizing the need to prevent crowds from gathering at public places, Modi said there is a need to be aware, alert, and strict in this regard. He said funds are being made available to all states for making available new intensive care unit (ICU) beds, increasing testing capacity, and for all other needs.

Recently, the central government released an emergency COVID-19 response package of more than Rs 23,000 crore, Modi pointed out.

The prime minister on Tuesday had interacted with chief ministers of eight North-Eastern states, another region of concern, through video conferencing, and had said the vaccination drive needs to be continuously ramped up to deal with the pandemic.

He had also said that it is a matter of concern that big crowds are thronging hill stations and market areas without masks and social distancing.