Sporting a homemade mask, PM Narendra Modi today morning in his televised address announced that the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the biggest in the world, will be extended until at least May 3. A few days ago, the centre has announced that it believes in `jaan bhi, jahan bhi’ (lives as well as livelihood)
The three-week lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people, which started at midnight on March 25, was scheduled to end today (April 14).
As per data, India has reported more than 10,000 cases and 339 deaths. Modi said some restrictions in areas away from Covid hotspots would be eased on April 20. This is mainly to kickstart some amount of economic activity to help poor people dependent upon daily wages.
“Each police station, each district, each state will be monitored closely to see whether the lockdown is being followed and if that area has saved itself from the virus,” he said.
“We can then decide on relaxing restrictions in those areas that are successful in this test, have successfully contained the hotspots and prevented new ones.”
A very densely populated country, where millions live in slums and social distancing can be a dream for many. So, it is better to continue the lockdown to flatten the curve. There are fears that the numbers could skyrocket and shake the healthcare systems.
With fast action and early lockdown, India has done much better than the bigger nations. The figures from these developed nations show that we are doing much better.” PM Modi said that “screenings started even before India reported any Covid-19 cases. We didn’t wait for the problem to get out of hands”. The first Coronavirus case was confirmed in the state of Kerala on 30 January in the state of Kerala when a university student from Wuhan travelled back to the state. As cases reached a 500 mark by first week of March, A Junta Curfew was announced on March 22.
Though the lockdown is the need of the hour but it comes with a huge economic cost to the country.
