New Delhi: Declaring that a four-day countrywide 'Tika Utsav' (inoculation festival) is being started from Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested people to abide by four things that include wearing of masks as well as motivating others to follow the norm in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
The initiative, which will continue till April 14, is called by the Centre a second major war against the deadly virus which registered the highest single-day spike on Sunday infecting 1,52,879 more people within 24 hours.
"Today, on the occasion of Jyotiba Phule Jayanti, we are starting countrywide 'Tika Utsav'. This exercise will run till April 14, the event of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. This celebration is, in a way, the beginning of another major war against Corona," the Prime Minister made the announcement through Twitter.
In the 'Tika Utsav', the Prime Minister said: "We (countrymen) have to give special emphasis on personal hygiene as well as social hygiene".
For a successful fight against Covid-19, the Prime Minister stressed on the need to follow four things: "Each One-Vaccinate One", "Each One-Treat One", "Each One-Save One" and "Micro Containment Zone".
"In these four days, at the individual level, at the level of society and at the level of administration, we have to make our own goals, we have to make every effort to achieve them. I am confident that in the same way, with public participation, being aware and fulfilling our responsibility, we will be able to control the corona once again. Remember -- medicine as well as rigor."
Explaining "Each One-Vaccinate One" formula, the Prime Minister urged people to help those who are less educated, elderly, who cannot go and get vaccinated themselves.
Modi advised people to help in providing Covid treatment to all as per his "Each One-Treat One" call helping people who do not have proper resources and who are less aware.
Under his "Each One-Save One" formula, the Prime Minister said the emphasis is "I myself should wear a mask and thus save myself and save others as well".
And the fourth important thing, the Prime Minister said, in the event of someone being a Covid-19 positive, the people of the society should lead the creation of a "Micro Containment Zone". "Where there has been a positive case of a single corona, the people of the family, the people of the society should create a 'Micro Containment Zone'."
Our success will be determined by how much awareness we have about the 'Micro Containment Zone', Modi said.
The Micro Containment Zone is also an important way of fighting against corona in our densely populated country like India, said the Prime Minister, adding "it is very important for all of us to be aware when a single positive case comes, and to test others. Along with this, the person who is entitled to be vaccinated, should get vaccinated. The whole effort has to be done by the society as well as the administration.
Modi further emphasised on "zero vaccine waste", saying "We have to ensure that there is no loss of a single vaccine. We have to move towards zero vaccine waste. During this time, we have to move towards optimum utilization of the country's vaccination capacity. This is also a way to increase our capacity."
He also advised to stay at home until there is extreme need, stating "our success will be determined by this fact".
(With inputs from IANS)
