Like sirens went off in Ukraine, PM’s Janata Curfew call was to warn people: minister

On March 22, 2020, Prime Minister Modi had announced a 14-hour Janata Curfew. The Prime Minister had also asked people to stand on doors, balconies and windows and express gratitude for five minutes by clapping or ringing bells.

During his speech,Patel also claimed that no deaths happened in any hospitals in Gujarat due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government had made sufficient arrangements for oxygen needed and I can say for sure that no deaths happened in any hospitals in Gujarat due to lack of oxygen. The Congress party is only misguiding the people, especially with this being an election year,” Patel added.

The minister, however, admitted that the government resources were stretched during the second Covid wave.

He also dismissed the Opposition’s claim that “Namaste Trump” event held in February 2020 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad spread Covid-19 in India.

In a statement circulated among mediapersons later, the health minister said that while 14,605 Covid cases was reported every day during the second wave, the number of daily new cases rose to 24,485 cases during third wave.

The daily cases have fallen to below 50 and the number of active Covid cases which had touched 1,48,000 cases has now declined to less than 500.

The minister also said that Gujarat has completed 97 per cent vaccination. “If vaccination per million is taken into consideration, then Gujarat tops the list,” Patel added. Though he did not give a break up in his speech, the statement read that till March 18, 2022, 99.5 per cent of people above 18 years of age have received first vaccine dose and 96.7 per cent of the eligible population received both the doses. In the 15-18 age group, 85.6 per cent received first dose, while 81.5 per cent received both doses. In the 12-14 age group, 15.5 per cent have been administered the first dose.

“During third Covid wave, there was no shortage of oxygen, ICU beds, ventilators or medicines. We have sailed through smoothly during the third wave,” the minister said.

Congress MLA Amit Chavda, who had criticised the health infrastructure of Gujarat and the government’s handling of Covid, in his speech claimed the “Modi model” flopped in Gujarat during the pandemic when over three lakh people died in the state.