• Dr. R. Lalthangliana, Hon’ble Health Minister
  • Leaders of the various religious groups, NGOs & ex-servicemen community
  • Officials, and my friends from the Media
  • CHIBAI

 

At the outset, I want to thank all of you for coming to Raj Bhavan and attending this meeting on COVID-19. As we all know, the whole world has been reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year now. In India, we are currently witnessing record rates of new infection and deaths due to the second wave. In our State of Mizoram too, we are currently experiencing rapid rise in cases. As we are all aware, our health infrastructure has been stretched to the limit across the country. 

In these difficult times, the governments both at the Centre and the States are continuously working to the best of their abilities. As the country continues to face ever mounting challenges, our Hon’ble Vice-President and our Hon’ble Prime Minister have made a request to all the Governors to facilitate our collective fight against COVID-19. It is against this backdrop that we have gathered for this meeting today.

The intention of this meeting is to strengthen and augment the State Government’s numerous activities towards COVID-19 management. In Mizoram, the State Government has been taking a very proactive approach right from the initial stages. In fact, we are one of the better performing States in terms of COVID cases and deaths. Of course, this has been possible due to the valuable support by the civil society, including the religious bodies and the various community based organizations. 

Having said that, I am sure you will all agree that now is the appropriate time to remain focused and motivated in our collective effort. There is a real danger of complacency and fatigue creeping in due to our prolonged fight. It is here that I would like to encourage all the stakeholders to remain strong. Although the difficulties seem to be many, we must remember that it is darkest before the dawn. Together, we will emerge victorious. 

Today, as responsible leaders of the civil society, I wish to place a few important appeals before you, related to COVID-19 appropriate behavior. Although the public is well aware of these measures, I am sure you will agree that we all need to be constantly reminded.

Firstly, I request you to create awareness of the importance of social distancing. According to studies, if there are no physical distancing measures, one person can infect as many as 406 people within 30 days. The number goes down drastically if social distancing is followed. If physical exposure is reduced by 50%, a person will infect only 15 persons in 30 days. If physical exposure is further reduced by 75%, only 2.5 persons will be infected in 30 days. 

Secondly, we must disseminate the importance of using masks coupled with social distancing. Persons who neither wear masks nor practise physical distancing have a 90% risk of contracting the virus. On the contrary, the risk is negligible for persons who wear masks and maintain 6 feet physical distancing. According to the latest findings, some scientists have now claimed that the Coronavirus is transmitted through the air. This has further placed immense importance on wearing of masks and physical distancing. 

Thirdly, it is important to educate the masses on how to correctly wear masks. According to a recent survey, 50% of the people across India do not wear mask. Moreover, even amongst the 50% who are wearing masks, 64% cover their mouths but not their noses. While it is already unfortunate that only half of the people are wearing masks, the survey further found that only 14% are correctly wearing masks. 

And fourthly, we must continuously remind the general masses regarding the importance of frequent cleaning of hands. Here too, proper washing of hands with soap for at least 20 seconds is recommended. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is also recommended. 

While these COVID-19 appropriate behaviours seem very trivial, they are in fact absolutely essential, and they are our only effective weapons in fighting this disease. I take this opportunity to applaud the State Government for its efforts, led by our able and dynamic Hon’ble Health Minister. I also place on record my deep appreciation to the various religious groups and NGOs for your valuable cooperation. I request you to continue supporting the State Government in our shared fight. 

Once again, I thank all of you for sparing you valuable time to come and attend this important meeting. I request all of you to pass on these information to your respective bodies and organizations.

 

KA LAWM E. Jai Hind.