New Delhi, October 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, stressed that the country must not lower its guard despite the falling rate of infection. If the COVID-19 safety norms are violated, it may undo the efforts taken to control the pandemic in the past 7-8 months, he warned. India’s Recovery Rate As High as 88% Due to Adoption of ‘Flexible Lockdown’, Says PM Narendra Modi.

"Jab tak davai nahi, tab tak dhilai nahi (till no medicine found, guard cannot be lowered)," Modi said, as he appealed the country to stick to the government's guidelines and regulatory norms during the observance of Dussehra, Durga Puja, Eid, Diwali, Guru Nanak Jayanti and other upcoming festivals.

"In this festive season, markets are bright again but we need to remember that the lockdown might have ended but COVID-19 still persists. With efforts of every Indian over last 7-8 months, India is in a stable situation we must not let it deteriorate," he added.

"Recently, we saw many photos and videos where it is clearly seen that people are not careful anymore. This isn't right. If you step out without mask, you put your families at risk. We must remember - whether it is America or Europe, cases declined and then there was sudden spike," the Prime Minister pointed out.

'Number of Tests to Reach 10 Crore Soon'

"All countries are working on a war-footing for making COVID19 vaccine. Government is preparing for making the vaccine accessible to every Indian as soon as it is made available," he added.

A day earlier, Modi had highlighted how India has clocked one of the highest COVID-19 recovery rates in the world despite a high population density. This, he added, should be attributed to the "flexible lockdown" system adopted in the nation since the early phase of pandemic.

"India has one of the highest recovery rates of 88%. This happened because India was one of the first countries to adopt a flexible lockdown....India is now at forefront of vaccine development for COVID-19", Modi said at Grand Challenges Annual Meeting, which he addressed virtually on Monday.

Modi's address comes at a time when the pace of infections has decelerated in India. The seven-day average positive rate has dropped below 8 percent, and the case fatality ratio is hovering around 1.5 percent -- way lower as compared to May-June this year.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had, in the past week, sounded a note of caution by claiming that the laxity in adoption of COVID-19 norms during the upcoming festive season may lead to a sharp spike in cases. He asked the citizens to take cue from Kerala, where the alleged undermining of social distancing norms during the Onam festival led to a wave of new infections.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 20, 2020 06:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).