A week ahead of the lifting of the Nationwide lockdown, India reported 5,931 positive cases of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 infections.
Meanwhile the casualties due to death reached 180, till the 9th of April. Amid the Nationwide lockdown the numbers are increasing rapidly making it difficult for the Central Government to lift the lockdown in one go on the 14th of April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an all party meeting through video conference, hinted that the Government of India (GoI,) might not ease everything like travel, opening of public places, schools and other institutes in one go and keep it shut for a couple of weeks longer.
However, an official announcement regarding the lockdown decision would be taken in another all party meeting, scheduled on the 11th of April.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.,) announced to seal 15 districts, which could be hotspots for the spread of the virus in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) The districts which were sealed from the midnight of the 8th of April are Lucknow, Noida, Gaziabad, Sitapur, Kanpur, Agra, Firozabad, Bariely, Meerut, Shamli, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr, Varanasi, Maharajganj and Basti. In Delhi also, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister , sealed 20 hotspots in Delhi and assured the people of delivering essential commodities.
Mr. Kejriwal also said, “Wearing of facial masks can reduce the spread of coronavirus substantially. Therefore, it has been decided that facial masks will be compulsory for anyone stepping out of their house. Cloth masks will be eligible too.”
Meanwhile, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and other state governments urged for a 2 weeks extension of a complete lockdown.
The pandemic illness, COVID-19 infected 14,84,811 people and claimed 88,538 lives till date, globally.
