PM asks officials to work with 'mission-mode' in states seeing Covid surge

A special campaign for Covid-appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 per cent mask usage will be organised from April 6 to April 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the coronavirus situation and vaccination program in the country. 

"The Prime Minister directed that for sustainable Covid-19 management, awareness of the community and its involvement is paramount and there is a need to continue Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan," the government said in a release.

Modi mentioned that the five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccination if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment would be effective in curbing the spread of the Pandemic.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, Chairperson (Empowered group on Vaccine Administration), Secretary Health, and other senior officials.

During the meeting, it was emphasised that the reasons for the sharper rise in cases could be mainly attributed to the severe decline in compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour primarily in terms of use of masks and maintaining social distancing, pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures at the field level.

A special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 per cent mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places and workplaces and health facilities will be organised from April 6 to April 14.

PM Modi stressed on the need to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour in the coming days and ensure the availability of beds, testing facilities and timely hospitalisation, etc.

He directed that central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to Maharashtra in view of high case load and deaths, and likewise to Punjab and Chhattisgarh because of the disproportionate number of deaths being reported there.  

The PM directed to continue with the mission-mode approach in the states and districts reporting high cases so that the collective gains of Covid-19 management in the country in the last 15 months are not squandered.

Modi, particularly highlighted the need to ensure effective implementation of containment measures, besides the involvement of community volunteers in active case search and management of containment zones. He exhorted that all states need to take required stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places witnessing high surge to curb the spread.