Amid coronavirus battle, PM Modi to address the nation at 5 pm today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 5 p.m. on Monday at a time when there is declining trend in cases of Covid-19 in the country after a deadly second wave in April-May.

Sources indicated that the Prime Minister may speak on the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country as many states have started the process of unlocking from Monday.

"Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi will address the nation at 5 PM today, 7th June," the Prime Minister's Office said on Twitter.

As Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu started unlocking from Monday with cautious steps, it is expected that the Prime Minister will warn the people to take the pandemic seriously despite the openings and follow safety measures taking congnisance of the prediction of the third wave of the coronavirus.

Several parts of India have begun the process of cautiously resuming activities stopped two months ago when the coronavirus cases began its deadly surge in the second wave. The unlocking comes as Covid cases have seen a steady fall in recent weeks.

In Delhi, shops in malls, markets, market complexes, standalone shops and neighbourhood shops opened with the restrictions of odd-even and timings. Delhi Metro, which was suspended since May 10, resumed services with 50 per cent capacity. Private offices are allowed to function with 50 per cent staff.

Maharashtra comes up with a five-level plan to ease restrictions depending on infection rates and hospital bed occupancy.

In Mumbai, the country's financial capital, restaurants, shops selling non-essential items and public places reopened from Monday, but malls, theatres and multiplexes continued to remain shut as the metropolis has been categorised under level 3 of the 'unlock' plan.

This month many other several states and Union Territories have begun easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second Covid wave hit the country.

The central government has however cautioned that the unlock process has to be slow and that Covid-appropriate behaviour needs to be strictly followed.

"Whatever we know from possible scenarios presented by eminent people, it (COVID) will decline and June will be much much more better but the concerns are when we open up, how do we behave because the virus has not gone anywhere," NITI Aayog member (Health) V.K. Paul had said last week.