Covid spike in India: Modi to interact with chief ministers on Wednesday

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country on Wednesday through video conferencing, an official said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will make a presentation at the conference.

"PM Modi will interact with CMs on the COVID-related situation in the country through video conferencing tomorrow at 12 noon," the official said.

With several festivals coming up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Sunday urged people to stay alert to the threat from the coronavirus and continue to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks and frequently washing hands.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said in the coming days the festival of Eid, Akshaya Tritiya, birth anniversary of Bhagwan Parashuram and Vaishakh Budh Purnima will be celebrated.

"All these festivals are festivals of restraint, purity, charity and harmony. Advance greetings to all of you on the occasion of these festivals. Celebrate these festivals with great gaiety and harmony," Modi had said.

"In the midst of all this, you also have to be alert of corona (virus). Wearing a mask, washing hands at regular intervals, whatever are the necessary measures for prevention, keep following them," the prime minister had stressed.

With 2,483 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's cumulative tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,30,62,569, while the active cases dipped to 15,636, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The death toll climbed to 5,23,622 with 1,399 new fatalities as Assam reconciled 1,347 deaths and Kerala 47 due to the infection, the data updated at 8 am stated.