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NEW DELHI, Apr 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the challenge of the Covid pandemic is not fully over yet, with the increase in coronavirus cases in the last two weeks manifesting the need to stay alert, and underlined that vaccination remains the biggest protective shield against the virus.
Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on the emerging Covid-19 situation in the country, the Prime Minister also said the government's priority is to vaccinate all eligible children at the earliest with special campaigns needed in schools.
At the interaction, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan gave a presentation where he discussed the rise of cases across several countries in the world and in some Indian states, a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said.
Asserting that India has fought a long battle against Covid in the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution, Prime Minister Modi lauded the chief ministers, officers and all corona warriors for their efforts.
Modi asserted it was clear that the coronavirus challenge is not fully over yet.
Omicron and its subvariants can create problems as is evident in case of many countries of Europe, he noted, adding that these sublineages are causing a surge in many countries.
He said India has been able to deal with the situation better than many countries.
Still, in last two weeks, increasing cases in some of the states show that we need to stay alert, Modi said.
The Omicron wave was handled with determination and without panic, and in the last two years, all aspects of the coronavirus fight whether related to health infrastructure, oxygen supply or vaccination, have been strengthened, he asserted.
In the third wave, none of the states saw situation going out of control, Modi asserted.
This, the Prime Minister added, should be seen in the context of the massive vaccination drive.
He said vaccination has reached each and every person and it is a matter of pride that 96 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated with at least one dose and about 84 per cent people above 15 years of age having received both the doses.
Vaccine, according to experts, is the biggest safety shield against the coronavirus, he said.
Noting that schools have opened after long time and some parents are worried over the increased number of cases in some places, Modi expressed satisfaction that more and more children are getting vaccinated.
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