Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President Uday Kotak said India needs 'highest-level' response measures and urged for 'curtailing economic activity, to reduce suffering' on account of the second wave of COVID-19 cases in India.
“At this juncture, CII calls for quick action to be taken by the Government on ‘whatever it takes’ to ramp up production, supply and distribution of vaccines. Strict following and enforcement of safety and hygiene protocols by all sections of society is absolutely critical," Kotak was quoted in a CII statement.
Lockdown is not a solution in the present times, Kotak said, requesting for maintaining stringent COVID-related protocols for public places and workplaces. At the same time, the vaccination drive must be accelerated, he emphasised.
India reported 3.68 lakh new COVID-19 cases and 3,417 deaths on May 2, according to the Union health ministry's latest update. There is a shortage of medical oxygen and hospital beds in most parts of the country.
On May 3, total cases in India roses by over 3 lakh at 3,68,147-its lowest single-day rise in the last five days.
CII suggested a 5-point plan to control spread of infections: No gathering should comprise of more than 10 people; safety, hygiene and health protocols must be followed stringently with strict enforcement measures in place; factories and shopfloors must be kept open for economic reasons so that production and supply chains are not disturbed. ‘Work from home’ must be prescribed or followed wherever possible and where it is not possible, only one-third attendance of employees should be permitted; public transport including metros, trains and buses must run at one-third seating capacity; and vaccination should be opened up to all age groups and made available for longer time periods at vaccination centers.
