Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said that while the coronavirus mutated and evolved, citizens let their guard down and all this led to a spike in cases, snowballing into the second wave.
He made these remarks after distributing masks among frontline workers at the Union Health Ministry.
The Minister stated that although this gesture was symbolic, people from various industries and corporate houses, and political leaders holding office could start a virtuous chain by emulating the exercise, eventually amplifying the Jan Andolan to protect everyone from Covid-19 through Covid appropriate behaviour, a Ministry statement said. The aim of the exercise in the health ministry is to distribute masks to all employees, starting with the frontline workers and eventually moving to other staff.
"The government worked round the clock to stop Covid-19 last year. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we were immensely successful in decreasing the active caseload to a minimum.
"However, with the arrival of vaccines early this year and things returning to normal, people gradually invited laxity in their adherence to the simple code of Covid appropriate behaviour. “
Explaining the importance of the event, he said, "With many corners of India gradually moving towards unlock from the second wave, we cannot afford laxity and any further increase in cases again."He drove home the point that masks are the simplest, most potent and the most powerful weapon against all variants of the coronavirus.