NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted a meeting to review India's response to the coronavirus situation. The meeting was attended by top officials. Modi asserted that the measures need to be taken to further augment the medical infrastructure to deal with the coronavirus cases over the next months. All the officials have to concentrate and focus on cities and states that witness a spurt in the coronavirus and have a large number of hotspots.

The monsoon is expected to hit the country and the health ministry officials need to undertake an emergency planning consultation with states and union territories in view of a government-appointed expert panel's recommendations on city and district-wise requirements of hospital and isolation beds going ahead. It was observed that out of the total number of cases, two-third of cases are from five states. Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata are among the worst-hit cities by COVID-19.

Looking at the current doubling rate of cases, India could reach a total of 25 lakh cases in around 80 days. Modi stressed on the point that the testing and the number of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals have to be increased. The treatment for non-COVID patients shouldn't be neglected.

PM Modi is also scheduled to conduct video conferencing with state chief ministers and UT representatives on June 16 and 17. Modi suggested Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to convene a meeting to know the detailed status of COVID-19 situation in Delhi on Sunday. LG Anil Baijal, CM Arvind Kejriwal, and top government officials will attend the meeting.

India is in the ninth position in terms of the number of deaths. The countries US, Brazil, the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, and Belgium have reported more coronavirus deaths. US is one of the severely affected nations and it has reported more than 1.14 lakh fatalities so far, the eighth-ranked Belgium has recorded 9,650 deaths. In India, the number of COVID-19 cases climbed to nearly 3.11 lakh, and the death toll to 9,137 on Saturday. More than 1.6 lakh people have already recovered and discharged. According to the reports, India's count of recoveries is now the sixth-largest in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia, Italy, and Germany.