Will of people at heart of Covid-19 fight: Niti Aayog's V K Paul

The behaviour and will of the people are at the heart of the fight against COVID-19, Niti Aayog Member V K Paul said on Thursday.

He added that the government is trying to contain the coronavirus pandemic as much as possible.

Paul further said the coronavirus will take its own time till the so-called herd immunity is achieved, which happens when a large segment of the population has already been infected.

"But we will not allow this virus to infect so many of us, that is the whole name of the game.

"We will contain this disease to the maximum possible, we will push the peak and lower the peak as much as possible," he said at the virtual launch of COVID-19 behavioural change campaign 'Navigating the New Normal'.

Paul, who is heading an Empowered Group on medical equipment and management plan to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, said the time is ripe for a mass movement for mask-wearing.

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"The behaviour and will of the people are at the heart of our fight against COVID-19," he said, adding that how the country mitigates the risk of the coronavirus now depends on people's actions.

"If we create a barrier like a mask in the new normal, it would limit its spread," Paul said.

Speaking at the event, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said as the country continues to open up, there is a higher expectation now than ever before from each Indian to practice safe behaviour.

Lyricist and communications professional Prasoon Joshi said through this behavioural change campaign, the government envisions to make mask wearing a part of everyone's subconscious and part of our everyday life.

"The campaign to induce a behavioural change will be led by kids. As responsible citizens, we have to ensure that mask-wearing is an integral part of the new normal," Joshi said.

India registered its worst single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Thursday, recording close to 17,000 coronavirus infections to push the overall tally to 4.73 lakh as the number of fatalities inched closer to 15,000, according to health ministry data.