| (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned people against letting down their guard against the coronavirus. Addressing the nation for the seventh time on the pandemic, the Prime Minister focused on the upcoming festival season, with the possibilities of large crowds and lax adherence to safety measures. Mr. Modi emphasised that it was important to stick to use of masks and sanitisers and practice social distancing till a vaccine was widely available. Lockdown fatigue, or a tendency to grow tired of safety precautions after an extended period and disregard them, is a major concern not just in India but across the world. This, mixed with shopping and celebrating crowds of the upcoming Hindu and Muslim festivals could create a spike in the number of cases. Mr. Modi's speech came just days after the Ministry of Science made public a study that projected the pandemic reaching the minimal cases point in February — unless it is knocked off that path by a festival season spike. As per current projections, vaccines will start being available to the public in India in March. As important as the vaccine itself, experts say, is a vaccination programme that can effectively deliver it among the vulnerable population that is yet to develop antibodies. A festival season spike will further stretch the healthcare systems in the country and complicate the vaccination programme. The Prime Minister has addressed a key issue that could affect the timeline for ending the coronavirus pandemic in India and, in turn, has implications on the economy and on the healthcare system. This makes the story important. | 
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