Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cautioned the masses against being careless amid the coronavirus pandemic. He - while addressing a gathering in Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing on Saturday - shared a slogan to highlight the significance of social distancing and masks in the fight against the illness until a cure or vaccine is developed.
"Jab tak dawai nahi, tab tak dhilai nahi. Do gaj ki doori, mask hai jaroori (No carelessness till a medicine is found, mask and maintaining distance of two yards is necessary)," he said, while addressing the virtual housewarming ceremony of 1.75 lakh houses built in rural parts of the state under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
India has been reporting close to one lakh coronavirus cases daily for the last few days. Earlier this month, India crossed Brazil to become the second worst-coronavirus hit county in the world. Some experts have said that the country is likely to cross the United States - which has the most Covid cases - in the next few months if the current rate of growth is not stemmed.
India currently has over 46.5 lakh cases including over 77,000 deaths.
PM Modi, ever since the coronavirus pandemic started spreading in India, has been stressing on social distancing as the most effective weapon against the virus. His government at the Centre, which is the highest executive body in the country on coronavirus-related matters, in its lockdown and unlock guidelines, has advised people to observe social distancing and wear masks at public places at all times to prevent the transmission of the highly communicable virus.
The virus, which has infected millions across the world, currently has no cure. Doctors across the globe have been using several experimental procedures to save patients from the disease that mostly kills people with co-morbidities.
Scores of medicine companies across the world have been working to develop a vaccine for the virus. Some candidates have shown good initial response but a safe vaccine will take at least several months before it can be used to rid the world of the disease, experts say.
On Saturday, Bharat Biotech that is developing the coronavirus vaccine COVAXIN in its latest report has said an animal study has shown a vaccine candidate has helped develop a strong immune response to the highly infectious coronavirus.
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