PM Modi to meet chief ministers on June 16, 17 amid spike in Covid-19 cases
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting chief ministers over two days next week, June 16 and 17- amid concerns regarding a spike in coronavirus cases across the country.
As the fourth phase of lockdown was drawing to a close, it was home minister Amit Shah who held a meeting with chief ministers to deliberate a way out and seek their views. On all earlier occasions, the PM had fronted the talks.
Once again, Modi will be meeting the chief ministers as the coronavirus crisis get grimmer.
Addressing the Indian Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, PM Modi stressed that the Covid-19 crisis has to be turned into an opportunity and push India towards a self-reliant path.
“Every citizen of this country has resolved to turn this crisis into an opportunity. We have to make this a major turning point for this nation. What is that turning point? A self-reliant India,” said the PM.
Coronavirus cases in the country crossed the grim milestone of three lakh cases, barely two weeks after the Centre announced lifting of the nationwide lockdown in phases and dubbed it Unlock 1, on Friday evening.
With an “economic focus”, the ministry of home affairs, just before the close of lockdown 4.0, announced that all activities will be opened up in areas outside the containment zone and presented a three-phase plan. A lockdown will, however, remain in place in containment zones till June 30.
Maharashtra has the highest Covid-19 positive cases in India with 1,01,141 patients, followed by Tamil Nadu with 40,698 and national capital Delhi with 34,687. India now ranks the fourth-highest in the list of nations hit hard by the highly infectious disease.
Some commentators say that India went into lockdown early. Other countries, they say, lifted their lockdown when their disease curve had started to deflate, but here the restrictions are being eased as the curve is going up exponentially.
HT
