This will be Modi's seventh address to the country since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. It comes as the Hindu festive season gets underway. The prime minister has often taken to televised address to announce major decisions or developments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to continue following social distancing norms and other preventive measures as the Covid-19 outbreak is not over yet.
“We need to remember that the lockdown is over, but the virus is still here,” he said.
Modi’s address comes at a time Covid-19 cases in India have been on a downward trajectory. On Tuesday, India reported its lowest daily cases tally in nearly three months. An expert panel of scientists, tasked by the government to assess the outbreak, has said India is past its peak and the virus may be contained by February 2021.
On Saturday, Modi held a meeting to review the research and development of a vaccine against Covid-19. The prime minister lauded efforts in vaccine development made till now and assured stakeholders that the government will continue to support research.
