New Delhi: All eyes will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he will address the nation at 8 PM on Thursday, amid the atmosphere of panic among people, as the country remains locked in a critical phase of the coronavirus pandemic. The total number of positive cases has jumped to 166 in the country, with the government imposing a slew of restrictive orders to contain the further spread of the contagion. PM will talk about issues relating to the pandemic diseases and the efforts to combat it, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Wednesday.

In a series of tweets, the PMO said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing efforts to contain COVID-19. Ways to further strengthen India's preparedness were discussed."

"The Prime Minister emphasised on actively engaging with individuals, local communities and organisations in chalking out mechanisms to fight the COVID-19 menace. He also urged officials and technical experts to deliberate on the steps to be taken next," another tweet read.


"Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to all those at the forefront of combating COVID-19 including the various State governments, medical fraternity, paramedical staff, armed and paramilitary forces, those associated with aviation sector, municipal staff and others," the PMO tweet said.




India saw 13 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total in the country to 166. Three people have died in India -- one each from Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Countries across the globe have pushed for more drastic measures to contain the pandemic disease that has now surpassed over 2,00,000 cases and over 8,000 deaths globally.

Watch: