Can’t afford defeat in war against Covid-19: Vardhan asks citizens to exercise caution

The Union minister said that people should continue to follow the restrictions with the same amount of consistency as they had done last year when the pandemic was at its peak.

Union minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday asked citizens to not let their guard down and put the success achieved by the nation against the Covid-19 pandemic at stake. The health minister asked people to adhere to the same rules which they had followed last year to keep Covid-19 at bay.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan service and sacrifice made by healthcare workers during Covid-19 will be for nothing if people let their guard down. (Amal KS/ Hindustan Times Archive)

“We are far ahead in several parameters when compared to other countries in our fight against Covid-19. We achieved a lot of success and we cannot lose it. In order to retain this, people have to maintain the same level of awareness as they did since last year,” the health minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

India has recorded 11,333,728 Covid-19 cases so far with 158,446 deaths but the nation boasts a recovery rate of 96.82%, according to data from the health ministry. The US, which is the worst-affected nation so far, has recorded 29,113,651 cases and 529,301 deaths, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control. Brazil is also among the worst-affected nations with more than 11,368,316 Covid-19 cases and 275,276 deaths.

India has vaccinated 28,218,457 people against Covid-19. The nation ranks second in terms of vaccination but has achieved this milestone in less than 60 days.

Vardhan’s message to citizens to consistently follow Covid-19 preventative measures comes at a time when several states have reported a rise in the number of daily Covid-19 cases, creating concerns over an impending second wave of Covid-19. Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka have been warned by the Centre as they have recently recorded a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases. These states and Union Territories are also contributing maximum to the rise in daily caseload recorded across the country.

Vardhan inaugurated various facilities at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bhopal and said that the government is aiming to expand the number of medical institutes across the nation so that citizens can avail high-quality health care.