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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on 7 April said that the final week of the ongoing lockdown is “critical” for evolving an exit strategy as data regarding the spread of coronavirus will have a bearing on the decision to be taken by the government.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March and it came into force from 25 March.
“As today marks the completion of two weeks of nationwide lockdown in force since 25 March, I thought it appropriate to reach out to the people and the leadership of the country with my views and concerns amidst current efforts to tide over the crisis caused by the outbreak of coronavirus,” Naidu said in a statement.
“In my view, while the concerns of economy can wait for another day, that of health can't,” he said.
Referring to the exit plan being planned by the government he said,
Amidst efforts against the virus showing signals of success in arresting its spread came the Tablighi Jamaat congregation “which had altered the nature of the curve with most of the new infected cases emanating from this meet,” he pointed out.
“The extent of participation in this congregation and its multiplier effect has upset our expectations,” he said.
“In that sense, this avoidable aberration should only be seen as an eye-opener to all others,” the vice president said. The duration of the fight against the virus may be uncertain at the moment but we shall triumph in the end, he said.
“Wisdom lies in minimising the costs to the health and wealth of the people across the globe. India has shown the spirit to do so and this need to be sustained till the end. Let's live with the hardship a little longer for a better tomorrow,” Naidu said.
The death toll due to novel coronavirus rose to 114 and the number of cases in the country climbed to 4,421 on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry.
(The article has been published in arrangement with PTI)
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