The high-level meeting via video conferencing held at 3 pm today was attended by Chief Ministers of Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim.
The states which participated today are not severely impacted by Covid-19. The worst-affected ones in the first set are Assam, Punjab and Kerala with 4049, 3140 and 2461 total cases.
During the interaction, PM Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers shared notes on how states are dealing with the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the way forward.
WATCH | PM Modi's Opening Remarks During His Interaction With CMs On Covid-19 Outbreak
Below are top 10 highlights of the virtual interaction held between PM Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers:
i. PM Modi commenced the meeting with Chief Ministers saying that "2 weeks have passed since Unlock 1, our experience during this time could be beneficial for us in future. Today I will get to know ground reality from you, your suggestions will help in chalking out future strategy.
ii. Prime Minister laid stress on the timely decision taken by the governments in containing the spread of deadly COVID-19 infection. "Timely decisions helped in containing Coronavirus in India," PM said.
iii. Briefing over the repatriation process, PM said that "in last few weeks, thousands of Indians returned to India from abroad and hundreds of migrant workers reached their home towns. Almost all modes of transport have resumed operations, still COVID-19 impact has not been that huge in India as in other parts of world."
iv. PM asked the states to stress on 'Do gaj ki doori' (social distancing) and massive use of face masks. Modi suggested to awareness campaigns which educate about hygienic practices necessary at this point.
v. "To even think of stepping out without a mask or face cover is not right at present. ‘Do gaj ki doori’, hand-washing and use of sanitisers is of utmost importance. With markets opening and people stepping out, these precautions are even more important," PM said.
vi. While speaking to the CMs, Prime Minister also pointed out that India's Coronavirus recovery rate has improved. He mentioned that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has gone up over 50 per cent in India.
vii. PM then mentioned about the low fatality rate in India. He said that India is one of the countries where there have been least deaths due to Covid-19.
viii. However, Narendra Modi also extended his heartful condolences to the families who lost their loved one due to the novel disease. He said, "The death of even one Indian is unsettling for the government."
ix. Further more in the conference, PM discussed about the reviving economy. He said that because of the efforts made in the last few weeks, green shoots have begun to be visible in our economy which suffered immensely during the Coronavirus-induced lockdown.
x. "When India's fight against Coronavirus will be analysed in future, this time will be remembered for how we worked together and served as an example of cooperative federalism," PM added in the virtual meeting with CMs.