COVID-19 an `invisible enemy`, govt working hard to win battle against coronavirus: PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Terming COVID-19 as an “invisible enemy”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government is working in war-footing mode to fight the second wave of deadly coronavirus and exuded confidence in winning the battle.

"After 100 years, such a terrible pandemic is testing the world at every step. We have an invisible enemy in front of us, which is in multi-form... We are overcoming obstacles in resources in the fight against the second wave of coronavirus rapidly and efforts are being made to work on war-footing mode," PM Modi said.

Addressing a video conference on PM-KISAN scheme, the Prime Minister said 18 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given so far and the government is making efforts to ensure that people get vaccinated at a fast pace.

Stating that people have lost their close ones to this (coronavirus) enemy, PM Modi said, "The pain that the countrymen have endured for some time, the pain that many people have gone through, I have felt the same pain: I am feeling the same."

The Prime Minister urged people to get vaccinated when their turn comes and said people should wear masks and maintain social distancing even after vaccination.

He said medical professionals, scientists and armed forces are working day and night to fight against COVID-19, adding that the supply of medicines is being increased through domestic production and imports.

The government is setting up oxygen plants, he stated. Further, he asked the state governments to crack down on black-marketing of medicines and oxygen cylinders. "India is not a country to lose courage. We will fight and win," he said.

Expressing concern over COVID-19 is reaching villages, the Prime Minister asked people to follow all the protocols such as wearing masks and taking tests in case of having symptoms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also released the eighth installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Friday via video conferencing.

PM Modi released over Rs 20,000 crore to more than 9.5 crore farmer-beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme. The last or 7th installment of PM Kisan was paid on Christmas, December 25, which is also the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by PM Modi in 2019. The Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions.