Image Source: ZEE NEWS

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday thanked the nation for its collective fight against coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and the hardships that the people, especially the migrant workers, faced during this period as he announced his decision to extend the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

''People have gone through several hardships to save India. I know how many difficulties you faced. I respectfully bow to the people of India for their sacrifice,'' PM Narendra Modi said. ''India is fighting coronavirus pandemic due to the unity and penance of the entire country. India has been able to contain coronavirus to a large extent. I thank you all for your patience,'' the PM said adding, ''India will remain in lockdown till May 3.''

The PM said that extending the lockdown is very important to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

PM Modi stressed that the coronavirus pandemic should be curbed at every level. ''Even if one person dies due to coronavirus, our tension should increase. That is why hotspots must be identified with extended vigilance and harsh steps to be taken to curb the spread of coronavirus. If new hotspots arrive, our efforts will face problems,'' he added.

PM Modi said that till April 20, harsh steps will be taken to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country. ''Hotspots will be carefully identified.'' He said that rules will be eased for areas where the lockdown is implemented properly and fewer new cases are registered till April 20.

A proper report on the lockdown and its measures will be issued tomorrow (Wednesday), the PM said. Talking about the daily wage workers, PM Modi said that new guidelines will be made keeping their interests in mind. Harvesting of Rabi crops is on, and the measures will be taken to reduce their problems, he said.

In his third address to the nation, which began around 10 AM, the PM also paid his tribute to Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary. The PM said that while comparison with other countries is not appropriate, some truths cannot be ignored. ''Countries with better resources even if compared to them, India is in a much better position,'' he said.

''Thousands of people have died in many countries. If India had not carried out a holistic and integrated approach, the condition of the country could have been unimaginable, invoking goosebumps to think about,'' he stated. The PM said that even when India did not have a single coronavirus patient, India had begun screening passengers from COVID-19 affected countries.

PM Modi further informed that the health infrastructure has improved by leaps and bound. He said that labs have come up, beds have increased, more than 600 hospitals are working for coronavirus treatment. These facilities are being added every day. ''Even with our limited resources,'' PM Modi also requested young scientists to come forth and help in creating the coronavirus vaccine.

In his address to the nation, the PM also underlined seven steps to be followed by all Indians - take special care of the elderly, especially those who are unwell, adhere to the ''Lakshman Rekha' 'of lockdown and social distancing, follow the Ayush Ministry's advisory to increase immunity, download AarogyaSetu mobile app to fight coronavirus, help and take care of the poor, show empathy towards those employed in your company, business. do not sack them, have respect for coronavirus fighters - doctors, police and those involved in cleaning.

The PM had earlier tweeted that he will address the nation at 10 AM on April 14, 2020. Prior to this, the Prime Minister had on Saturday held extensive consultations with the Chief Ministers through video-conferencing, during which talks were held over the need for extending the lockdown further after taking into consideration the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister had said that there seems to be a consensus amongst the states on the extension of lockdown by another two weeks. He had underlined that the motto of the government earlier was ‘jaan hai to jahaan hai’ but now it is ‘jaan bhi jahaan bhi’.

Talking about the way ahead post the end of the 21-day lockdown period, the PM had said that the coming three to four weeks would be critical in determining the impact of steps taken to curb the spread of the disease and had also suggested specific measures for agriculture and allied sectors, including those needed to facilitate the sale of farm produce.

Three weeks ago in his address to the nation in which he announced the lockdown in the country, Prime Minister Modi had talked of `jaan hai to jahaan hai,` stressing the urgent need to save lives. There had been suggestions that going forward the country could be divided into red, orange, and green zones based on the number of COVID-19 cases and that some industries could be allowed to operate in orange and green zones while taking precautions against the disease. However, several states such as Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, among others had already announced the extension of lockdown taking into account the rising number of cases in the respective States.

As of 8 AM on Tuesday, the COVID-19 has infected over 10,363 people, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)