As COVID crisis worsens, PM Modi chairs crucial meeting to discuss present situation

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April 19, 2021

KEY STORY

As the single-day COVID-19 cases surged to a staggering record-high level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired an important meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation in the country.
India on Monday recorded the highest single-day jump since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with 2,73,810 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 1,50,61,919. This is the fifth consecutive day when daily spike in coronavirus cases crossed the 2-lakh mark in the country which is hit by the second wave of COVID-19.
The death toll in the country has mounted to 1,78,769 with 1,619 people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours in the highest-ever single-day surge, as per the Union Health Ministry latest data.
The total number of active cases has mounted to 19,29,329 in the country amid a fresh spike in coronavirus infections.

PM’s 2nd meeting in 2 days
This is Prime Minister Modi’s second meeting on the coronavirus situation in the country, in two days. On Saturday, he chaired a meeting to review the status of preparedness to handle the COVID-19 situation and urged local administrations to be proactive and sensitive to people’s concerns.
The Prime Minister took stock of the availability and supply of ventilators, oxygen and medicines to fight the pandemic and called for utilising the entire national capacity across private and public sectors to produce vaccines, as several states have raised concerns about the shortage of hospital facilities and essentials like oxygen supply.
He directed officials to ensure close coordination with states and take all necessary measures to scale up the availability of hospital beds for COVID patients and ensure additional supply of beds through temporary hospitals and isolation centres.

PM reviews COVID situation in Varanasi
He also reviewed the COVID situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday and stressed the importance of the vaccination.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister took stock of testing, availability of beds, medicines, vaccines and manpower for prevention of coronavirus and proper treatment of infected patients. He also asked the administration to ensure that safety measures like social distancing and the use of masks are followed by people.