Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding discussions with chief ministers and Lt governors of 21 states and union territories on Tuesday on ways to check the spread of novel coronavirus as thousands of fresh cases are being reported daily.
This is Modi's sixth interaction with the chief ministers since the outbreak of the deadly virus.
The two-day virtual meet comes as the country witnesses an unabated spike in coronavirus cases.
India registered over 10,000 COVID-19 cases for the fifth day in a row pushing the tally to 3,43,091 on Tuesday, while the death toll rose to 9,900 with 380 new fatalities.
Chief ministers of Punjab, Kerala, Goa, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and those of the northeastern states among others are talking part in the meet. LGs and administrators of some union territories are also attending Tuesday's brainstorming session.
Addressing the CMs, PM Modi said, "2 weeks have passed since Unlock 1 and our experience during this time could be beneficial for us in future. Today I will get to know ground reality from you, your suggestions will help in chalking out future strategy."
"In last few weeks, thousands of Indians returned to India from abroad & hundreds of migrant workers reached their home towns. Almost all modes of transport have resumed operations, still COVID-19 impact has not been that huge in India as in other parts of world," he adds.
"Timing matters a lot in overcoming any crisis. Timely decisions have helped a lot in containing coronavirus in the country," he said.
He said that the recovery rate has gone above 50% in India.
Further he said that for us death of even one Indian is unsettling but it is also true that India is one of the countries where there have been least deaths due to COVID-19.
He urged the CMs to encourage people to wear masks and maintain social distancing at all times. "To even think of stepping out without a mask or face cover is not right at present. ‘Do gaj ki doori’, hand-washing & use of sanitisers is of utmost importance. With markets opening&people stepping out, these precautions are even more important," Modi said.
PM Modi added that when India's fight against COVID-19 will be analysed in future, this time will be remembered for how we worked together and served as an example of cooperative federalism.
"Because of the efforts made in the last few weeks, green shoots have begun to be visible in our economy,' PM Modi said.
With an increase of 10,667 cases and 380 deaths in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 count in India has reached 3,43,091 on Tuesday, according to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
The COVID-19 count includes 1,53,178 active cases, while 1,80,013 patients have been cured and discharged or migrated so far and the toll due to COVID-19 has now reached 9,900.
(With inputs from Agencies)
