Mann Ki Baat: Self-awareness, discipline our strength in fighting Omicron, says PM Modi

New Delhi, Dec 26: In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned against fast- spreading Omicron virus and said that individual alertness and discipline are a big strength of the country in the fight against the new variant of coronavirus.

"We must remember that a new variant of COVID19 Omicron has knocked on our doors. To defeat this global pandemic our effort as citizens is important," PM Modi said in his popular radio address.

"In such a case, self-awareness and self-discipline are the powers the country has against this variant of Corona. Only our collective strength will defeat Corona and it is with this sense of responsibility that we have to enter 2022," he added.

PM Modi's address comes on a day India reported 422 cases of the Omicron variant were reported in India and 6,987 more people tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), pushing the country's tally to 34,786,802.

"It is our collective strength which will defeat corona. We have to enter 2022 with this sense of responsibility," the prime minister said.

Modi on Saturday had announced that vaccination against COVID-19 for children between 15 and 18 years will start from January 3, while "precaution dose" for healthcare and frontline workers would be administered from January 10.

He had also said the precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and those with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year. In his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, Modi also talked about Group Captain Varun Singh, who succumbed to injuries at a military hospital in Bengaluru last week after sustaining serious injuries in the chopper crash near Coonoor that killed CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 armed forces personnel.

Group Captain Singh was the lone survivor of the December 8 crash.