Bengaluru: In what comes as good news and massive relief, VK Paul the Co-chair of Empowered Committee for India’s COVID-19 Response has categorically rejected claims that India is yet to reach stage three of the pandemic. 

He also added that the Indian government is going the extra mile to contain the spread and keep things under control. 

Detailing the issue, he also said that lockdown and other containment measures are part of the government’s move to keep things under check. 

Community transmission means that an individual who has no travel or contact history with any Covid-19 patient tests positive for a coronavirus infection, as reported by a popular website. 

He said, “Today, you can say, as of now we are preparing for Stage 3 and intensification of containment to the best possible extent. There is no dearth of testing kits and their approach is dictated to ensure no wastage of resources.” 

Dr Paul has been a faculty member for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for over 32 years and has been serving as the Head of Department (HoD) of Pediatrics for the last 10 years.

An internationally renowned paediatrician, academic, medical researcher and public health exponent, he was conferred the prestigious Ihsan Dogramaci Family Health Foundation Prize by WHO in 2018, the website added. 

Modi has also urged his countrymen to take lockdowns seriously and stay home. 

"Many people are still not taking the lockdown seriously. Please save yourself, save your family, follow the instructions seriously. I request the state governments to get the rules and laws followed," tweeted PM Modi.

At the time of writing this article, India has recorded 523 positive coronavirus cases and ten deaths, globally the numbers stand at 381,621 and 16, 574 respectively.

It should also be noted that three other states – Goa, Odisha and Sikkim – apart from several other states have entered a state of lockdown.

During such a lockdown, only essential commodities like food, medicine are kept open while citizens are not allowed to venture on the roads.

Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi is all set to address the nation for the second time in less than a week on the issue of coronavirus.