We kept warning of a second COVID-19 wave, coronavirus peak can emerge again: Centre

The government warned that the coronavirus may emerge again and that Centre and states need to collaborate, ramp up infrastructure, impose curbs and encourage COVID-appropriate behaviour.

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New Delhi: The government on Thursday said the coronavirus may emerge again and so Centre needs to collaborate with states, infrastructure needs to be ramped up, curbs and COVID-appropriate behaviour must be followed.

At a press conference, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul dismissed criticism directed at the government that it was caught unaware of the intensity of the second COVID-19 wave.

Paul said, "We kept warning again and again from this platform that the second wave of COVID-19 will come. It was said that the sero-positivity is 20 per cent, 80 per cent of the population is still vulnerable and that virus has not gone anywhere and other countries were also witnessing a resurge."

He also said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed to the country on March 17 about the emerging second wave and had said that we have to fight it.

Further, Paul warned that there will be another peak and that the Centre and state governments have to be prepared. 

"So peak will come, the virus can again emerge, we know. So preparations have to be made at country level in collaboration with states, infrastructure has to be ramped up, containment measures have to be implemented and COVID appropriate behaviour has to be followed," he said.

Meanwhile, as India reels under a catastrophic second wave, the country added 3,62,727 new coronavirus infections, taking the COVID-19 tally of cases to 2,37,03,665, while the death toll rose to 2,58,317 with 4,120 daily fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Thursday.

The active cases have increased to 37,10,525 comprising 15.65 per cent of the total infections.