Coronavirus: India will increase nationwide lockdown , Minister of State said
A top official says India will increase strict nationwide lockdown last month to curb the spread of coronavirus.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held
a video conference with state ministers , and many of them appealed to the government to extend the measure.
The Chief Minister of Delhi said thatNarendra Modi had agreed to increase the lockdown due to the closure on Tuesday without elaborating.
It comes amid concerns over how the lockdown has impacted the country's poorest.
In some states there is a difference between spreading the virus in India despite the large number of cases jumping. Millions of migrant workers have been left unemployed, suffering the poorest of the worst.
According to data from the Johns Hopkins University of the United States, which has been diagnosed with the disease globally, India has confirmed about 8,000 infections and 288 deaths. The actual figures, however, are considered to be much higher.
On Twitter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Modi had "made the right decision to increase the [closed] lockout" without saying how long the hike would last.
"If it was stopped now, all the gains would be lost. To unite, expanding it is [important]."
Later on Saturday, an online post from the Prime Minister's Office said that "extensive discussions" with the chief ministers were fruitful and "seem to be in agreement" to increase the lock-in measures in two weeks.
Modi has described the impact of measures taken so far in the next three to four weeks as "critical".
No official confirmation has been made yet to extend the national lockout, but some state-wide extensions have now been announced.
On March 24, India closed its 2.9 trillion (t 2.3tn) economy, shut down its businesses and issued stricter housing orders to more than a billion people. Air, road and rail transportation systems were suspended.
As testing has emphasized, the real picture is coming out. The virus has started to spread in the densely populated communities, and new groups of infections are emerging every day. Not lifting the lockdown can easily take the risk of triggering a fresh wave of infection.
Strict locking is sure to slow the disease down. The virologists I spoke to acknowledge that India is still in the early stages of infection. The country does not yet have enough information about the transmission of the virus or how many people can still be infected and exported to develop the right immune system.
Not surprisingly, the lockdown is already hurting the economy. Many early hotspots are the engine of economic growth and contribute greatly to the treasury's revenue. Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the main city of Maharashtra, accounts for more than a third of the total tax collection.
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Earlier, hundreds of angry migrant workers in Surat, the western city of Gujarat, refused to accept the demand to allow them to return home after hearing reports of an extension of the shutdown.
Migrants froze roads, demolished property and set tires and vehicles on fire while some threw stones. A large number of police have been dispatched to the area, and about 80 immigrants have been detained.
Media captions such as the rise of coronavirus cases and the virus hitting India's crowds, will the country face it?
Modi on March 25 implemented a nationwide lockout, with little warning that millions were trapped and left without food and drink.
1.3 billion people are banned from leaving the country, all unnecessary businesses are closed and almost all public gatherings are banned.
One of the most densely populated countries in the world, with the possibility of a major coronavirus outbreak, may lead to humanitarian disaster.
A top official says India will increase strict nationwide lockdown last month to curb the spread of coronavirus.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held
a video conference with state ministers , and many of them appealed to the government to extend the measure.
The Chief Minister of Delhi said thatNarendra Modi had agreed to increase the lockdown due to the closure on Tuesday without elaborating.
It comes amid concerns over how the lockdown has impacted the country's poorest.
In some states there is a difference between spreading the virus in India despite the large number of cases jumping. Millions of migrant workers have been left unemployed, suffering the poorest of the worst.
According to data from the Johns Hopkins University of the United States, which has been diagnosed with the disease globally, India has confirmed about 8,000 infections and 288 deaths. The actual figures, however, are considered to be much higher.
On Twitter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Modi had "made the right decision to increase the [closed] lockout" without saying how long the hike would last.
"If it was stopped now, all the gains would be lost. To unite, expanding it is [important]."
Later on Saturday, an online post from the Prime Minister's Office said that "extensive discussions" with the chief ministers were fruitful and "seem to be in agreement" to increase the lock-in measures in two weeks.
Modi has described the impact of measures taken so far in the next three to four weeks as "critical".
No official confirmation has been made yet to extend the national lockout, but some state-wide extensions have now been announced.
On March 24, India closed its 2.9 trillion (t 2.3tn) economy, shut down its businesses and issued stricter housing orders to more than a billion people. Air, road and rail transportation systems were suspended.
As testing has emphasized, the real picture is coming out. The virus has started to spread in the densely populated communities, and new groups of infections are emerging every day. Not lifting the lockdown can easily take the risk of triggering a fresh wave of infection.
Strict locking is sure to slow the disease down. The virologists I spoke to acknowledge that India is still in the early stages of infection. The country does not yet have enough information about the transmission of the virus or how many people can still be infected and exported to develop the right immune system.
Not surprisingly, the lockdown is already hurting the economy. Many early hotspots are the engine of economic growth and contribute greatly to the treasury's revenue. Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the main city of Maharashtra, accounts for more than a third of the total tax collection.
Read more from the physical
Earlier, hundreds of angry migrant workers in Surat, the western city of Gujarat, refused to accept the demand to allow them to return home after hearing reports of an extension of the shutdown.
Migrants froze roads, demolished property and set tires and vehicles on fire while some threw stones. A large number of police have been dispatched to the area, and about 80 immigrants have been detained.
Media captions such as the rise of coronavirus cases and the virus hitting India's crowds, will the country face it?
Modi on March 25 implemented a nationwide lockout, with little warning that millions were trapped and left without food and drink.
1.3 billion people are banned from leaving the country, all unnecessary businesses are closed and almost all public gatherings are banned.
One of the most densely populated countries in the world, with the possibility of a major coronavirus outbreak, may lead to humanitarian disaster.
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