Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held the second part of two-day interaction with Chief Ministers via video conferencing to discuss the situation post Unlock 1.0 and plan for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister observed that the spread of the virus is greater in certain big states and cities. High density of population, difficulty in maintaining physical distancing and daily movement of people in huge numbers has made the situation challenging, yet through patience of citizens, readiness of administration and dedication of corona warriors, the spread has been kept under control. Through timely tracing, treatment and reporting, the number of those recovering is rising, he said. He added that the discipline shown by people during lockdown has prevented the exponential growth of the virus.

He also talked about the presence of better health infrastructure and trained manpower to meet the challenge, highlighting the increase in domestic manufacturing capabilities. He underlined the need to give constant emphasis on health infrastructure, information systems, emotional support and public participation.

The PM stressed upon the importance of testing to quickly trace, track and isolate those affected.

The Prime Minister observed that the states where Aarogya Setu app has been downloaded in large numbers are witnessing positive results. Efforts should be made to increase the reach of the app, he said. He also underlined the emotional aspect of the battle against the virus, including battling the fear of being afflicted and the stigma attached by making people aware of the high number of those who have defeated the virus and recovered.

The interaction was the second part of the two-day interaction and witnessed participation of States and UTs including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana and Odisha.

The Prime Minister thanked the Chief Ministers for their views and mentioned that the collective commitment to fight against the virus will lead us to victory while also talking about the need to speed up economic activities with due precautions in place. He talked about the need to fight rumours of lockdown, mentioning that the country is now in the phase of unlocking.