New Delhi:
India on Tuesday extended until May 3 a nationwide lockdown for its 1.3 billion people as the number of coronavirus cases crossed 10,000 despite a three-week shutdown.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the ongoing nationwide 21-days lockdown that is supposed to end today has been extended till May 3.
However, in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday, he said relaxation may be given in safe areas post 20th April
“There will be strict vigil till April 20.States which will not let hotspots increase, they could be allowed to let some important activities resume, but with certain conditions Relaxation may be given in safe areas post April 20.If we see any carelessness or dangers afterwards, relaxations will be revoked,'' he said adding that a detailed list of guidelines on this will be issued by the government tomorrow.
"These steps are being proposed in view of the economic needs of the poor, who rely on the wages they earn on a daily basis. These poor and daily-wage workers indeed are my family. They and the mitigation of their problems are my priority. Their welfare has been kept in mind while drafting the new guidelines. Rabi harvest is on in the country these days; the welfare of farmers will be kept in mind,'' said Modi.
Modi spoke as latest government data showed the number of people infected with coronavirus had reached 10,363, with 339 deaths.
Though the numbers are small compared with hard-hit western nations, like the United States, Italy and Spain, health experts fear that is because of India’s low levels of testing, and actual levels of infection could be far higher
Suggestions from various stakeholders including states and people have favoured extension of lockdown.India may have paid a big economic price, but there can be no alternative to saving human lives, he said.
Domestic international flights and railways suspended till May 3
India will keep its domestic international flights and railways suspended till May 3 in alignment with a national lockdown being extended,
Domestic and international commercial passenger flights were earlier suspended from March 25 to April 14. "All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm of 3rd May 2020," the civil ministry ministry tweeted.
Soon after PM Narendra Modi extended the national lockdown till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus outbreak, the Indian Railways also decided to keep passenger trains till then.
The railway ministry in a statement said, "In continuation of the measures taken in the wake of Covid-19 lockdown, it has been decided that all passenger train services of Indian Railways including premium trains, mail and express trains, passenger trains, suburban trains, Kolkata Metro Rail, Konkan Railway etc shall continue to remain cancelled till May 3."
However, to ensure the supply of essential commodities to reach various parts of the country — movement of goods and greight trains will continue.
Seven promises
PM Modi requested every Indian to make seven promises to help in the fight against the deadly virus.
-Take care of elders as they are most prone to catch the infection
– Follow social distancing. It's the most critical element in breaking the chain of infections.
-Use home-made masks
-Improve your immunity. Prevention is always better than cure and immunity building will ensure general well-being.
-Help poor families with food. This also means avoiding food wastages.
-Be empathetic to your workers and employees. Treat them with care and respect and be there for them in need.
– Respect coronavirus warriors. Healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers and all those putting their lives at risk for our safety and protection deserve more respect.
India gained immensely from social distancing and lockdown.India didn't wait for the problem to get bigger, took a big step of announcing 21-days Coronavirus lockdown
“When India had 550 coronavirus cases, we went for a 21-day lockdown to prevent spread of the virus.I respectfully bow to the people of India for their sacrifice.India was vigilant from the beginning of the spread of this pandemic.We started screening at airports even before the first case was detected in the country.People have saved the country while facing difficulties I know the kind of trouble all of you have been through in this period.India has been able to contain the spread and ill-effects of Coronavirus due to your patience. All of you have suffered to save the nation.India's fight against coronavirus is going on very strongly,'' said Modi.
India has made available as many as 100,000 beds, says Modi on coronavirus pandemic, he said.
“Global experience tells us that when the number of cases reaches 10,000 in a country, 1,500-1,600 hospital beds are required. But in India we have made available as many as 100,000 beds," he added.
The ongoing lockdown that came into effect on March 25 was to expire on midnight of April 14.
The drastic measure shone the spotlight on the miseries of lakhs of migrant workers whose journeys on foot from several urban centres to their villages hundreds of kilometres away grabbed headlines for many days last month.
The catastrophic effect of the lockdown on the overall economy and livelihoods of lakhs of migrant workers triggered severe concerns following which a number of chief ministers in their video conference with Modi on Saturday sought some kind of relaxation for a number of sectors.
Late last month, the government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package aimed at providing relief to those hit hard by the lockdown as well as an insurance cover for healthcare professionals handling virus infected people.