HomeHealthcare NewsCoronavirus News highlights: Lockdown should be used as last resort, says PM

Coronavirus News highlights: Lockdown should be used as last resort, says PM

Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: India recorded 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 1,53,21,089. The number of active cases surpassed the 20-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. Registering a steady increase for the 41st day in a row, the active cases increased to 20,31,977, comprising 13.26 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 85.56 percent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,31,08,582, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.18 percent, the data stated.

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By CNBCTV18.com April 20, 2021, 10:39:42 PM IST (Updated)

Coronavirus News highlights: Lockdown should be used as last resort, says PM
As more states went for lockdown-like restrictions to battle the raging second COVID-19 wave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed that the use of lockdown should be the "last resort" and that the focus should rather be on micro-containment zones. Modi's remarks in his address to the nation where he also said the second wave has become a major crisis came on a day when India's active COVID-19 cases crossed 20 lakh after 2,59,170 new coronavirus infections and a record 1,761 new fatalities.


"In the current situation, we need to save our country from a lockdown. I would also request states to use the lockdown as the last resort. We have to do our best to avoid a lockdown and our focus should rather be on micro-containment zones," he said. "If we all follow COVID-19 protocols, there'll be no need to impose lockdowns," Modi added, as he urged the people to reduce their movement and take vaccination.
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