Prime Minister interacts with all Chief Ministers on Thursday to discuss ways to check spread of COVID-19, outlines that the common goal for the country is to ensure minimum loss of life due to the pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined that the common goal for the country is to ensure minimum loss of life due to COVID-19 pandemic. Interacting with the Chief Ministers of states via video conferencing to discuss measures to combat the pandemic, PM Modi said, testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine should remain the areas of focus.

PM highlighted the necessity of maintaining supply of essential medical products, availability of raw material for manufacture of medicines and medical equipment. PM said, it is necessary to ensure availability of separate, dedicated hospital facilities for COVID-19 patients.

Underscoring the importance of coordinated action, Prime Minister Modi talked about the need of setting up Crisis Management Groups at district level and appointment of District Surveillance Officers. PM said that data must be taken from the accredited labs for testing. The Prime Minister said, it is necessary to ensure staggered release of funds to the beneficiaries under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana to avoid crowding at banks.

PM Modi said since this is the time to harvest crops, the government has given some relaxation from lockdown, however, it is necessary to continuously monitor and maintain social distancing as much as possible.

The Prime Minister said it is imperative to work on war footing level, identify hotspots and ensure that the virus does not spread out.

The Chief Ministers thanked the Prime Minister for his leadership, continuous guidance and support in this time of crisis. They appreciated the Prime Minister for taking the bold and timely decision of lockdown which has helped check the spread of the virus in the country.