19 MAY 2021

SPREAD OF PANDEMIC IN RURAL AREAS

On 18 May 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the District Magistrates of the 46 high-Covid-19 affected districts of various states and stressed the need to use three weapons to check the pandemic.

He directed aggressive testing, delineating local containment zones and strengthening medical resources and supplying accurate information to the local people for the effective control of the spread of virus.

The Prime Minister cautioned that the spread of the disease was towards the rural areas and the need to implement control measures and to carry out agricultural work in the rural areas as well.

“The District Magistrates are our field commanders in fighting the coronavirus pandemic; it is you who implement the strategies on the ground”.

“Through PM-CARES, we have decided to set up an oxygen plant in every district and my request to all DMs is to prepare in advance for the rapid setting up of such plants…”

Recent analysis by the experts shows that the daily confirmed covid cases decreased among the vaccinated senior citizens but infections are on the rise in the non-vaccinated. Experts are of the view that vaccines effectively prevent the severity of the disease even if a vaccinated person got infected.

 The rural and semi urban areas the vaccination drive should be speeded up to contain the pandemic.

 The vaccine hesitancy and the high urban rural disparity in testing facilities also should be addressed immediately.

Few months back, the daily cases were at all time, most people believed that it was turning the tide on the pandemic.

During the second wave of pandemic, there seems to be a rapid spread of pandemic in rural areas in many states.

During the first wave, the cases were seen mainly in urban areas initially and spread out to rural areas later.