In the backdrop of an alarming surge in Coronavirus cases across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people to take all necessary precautions and warned against complacency in handling the situation.

As India enters ‘Unlock 2’ tomorrow, PM Modi, in a special address to the nation, said that while battling the Coronavirus, India is also entering a season of rain and hence would be more prone to diseases.

Comparing to other nations, PM Modi said India is in a very stable position in the battle against Coronavirus and added that the mortality rate is also under control. “Timely actions and measures have played a great role,” he said.

The Prime Minister further noted that ever since Unlock 1 got underway in the country, negligence in personal and social behaviour has been increasing.

“Earlier, we were more cautious about the use of masks, ‘do gaj doori’ (physical distancing) and washing hands several times a day for 20 seconds… We see that that is not happening as strictly anymore. That is a sign of worry. This is a serious matter, and we must ensure that we maintain the discipline,” he said.

He further said that people not following rules need to be stopped and made aware of the problems and warned, “Nobody is above rules in India, even if it is the leader of the nation.”

PM Modi, in his address, also announced the extension of the PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana till the end of November, to help the poor in view of the upcoming festivals like Diwali and Chhath. This will cost the Government over Rs 90,000 crores. He also announced implementation of One Nation One Ration Card that would benefit migrant workers and their families.

India recorded a spike of 18,522 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 5,66,840, with the number of fatalities inching closer to 17,000-mark on Tuesday.

Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu constitute more than 60 per cent of the total Coronavirus cases in the country.

However, a total of 3,34,822 people have recovered and discharged from hospitals. The recovery rate is 59.06 per cent among the COVID-19 patients.