PM Modi to address the nation at 6pm today

New Delhi, Oct 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the nation today at 6 pm. Will be sharing a message with my fellow citizens at 6 PM this evening, tweeted the prime minister.

PM Modi did not specify but many speculated that his address could be on the coronavirus situation on the verge of festivals across the country.

The address comes in the wake of a warning by government panel about an exponential increase of 26 lakh cases in a month because of the festival season.

India may see an exponential increase of 26 lakh cases in a month because of the festival season if precautions are not followed, according to a government-appointed committee chaired by IIT Hyderabad professor M Vidyasagar.

Relaxation in safety measures can lead to a significant rise. It can be as much as "upto 26 lakh cases within a month," the committee said, adding that only 30 per cent of the population has developed immunity so far.

The committee has also claimed that if all protocols are followed, the pandemic can be controlled by early next year with minimal active symptomatic infections by February-end.

The number of new coronavirus infections reported daily in India dropped below 50,000 for the first time in nearly three months, taking the COVID-19 caseload to 75,97,063 on Tuesday.A total of 46,790 fresh infections were reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,15,197 with 587 fatalities being registered in a span of 24 hours.

The number of new fatalities reported daily across the country was recorded below 600 for the second consecutive day.

The total recoveries crossed 67 lakh while active cases of coronavirus infection remained below 8 lakh for the fourth consecutive day.

The country had reported 47,703 new infections in a day on July 28.

There are 7,48,538 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 9.85 per cent of the total caseload.