Peak will come, virus can again emerge: Govt

New Delhi: As the country battles the second wave of COVID-19, the government Thursday said the virus may emerge again and so preparations have to be made at the national level in collaboration with states, infrastructure needs to be ramped up while curbs and appropriate behaviour must be followed.

Dismissing allegations that the government was unaware of the intensity of the second wave, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul said, "We kept warning again and again from this platform that the second wave of COVID-19 will come.

"It was said that the sero-positivity is 20 per cent, 80 per cent of the population is still vulnerable and that virus has not gone anywhere and other countries were also witnessing a resurge."

At a press conference, Paul said, "The prime minister had conveyed the country about the emerging second wave on March 17 without creating panic and had said that we have to fight it."