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Coronavirus locks down 30 states, over 500 districts affected: Key developments
In an unprecedented move, 30 states and union territories have announced complete lockdown in their entire areas covering as many as 548 districts, the government said on Monday.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India has crossed over 400, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Nine people have succumbed to the virus till now in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked state governments to ensure that rules and regulations of the lockdown were enforced. “Many people are still not taking the lockdown seriously. Please save yourself, save your family, follow the instructions seriously. I request state governments to ensure rules and laws are followed,” he tweeted.
World Health Organisation executive director Dr Michael J Ryan on Monday said that India has tremendous capacities and called on for New Delhi to be aggressive in its fight against Covid-19.
“The pandemic is accelerating,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in a virtual news briefing.
United Nations chief António Guterres on Monday called for an immediate “global ceasefire in all corners of the world” in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and said that it is “time to put the armed conflict on lockdown and focus together” on the coronavirus pandemic.
“The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war... to warring parties I say: pull back from hostilities. Put aside mistrust and animosity. Silence the guns; stop the artillery and end the airstrikes. This is crucial, to create the corridors for life-saving aid,” the UN chief urged.
Here are the key developments.
1. In an unprecedented move, 30 states and union territories have announced complete lockdown in their entire areas covering as many as 548 districts, the government said on Monday.
2. Apart from the 30 states or UTs facing complete lockdown, three states or UTs have imposed partial lockdown in certain areas. They are Uttar Pradesh -- India’s most populous state, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. Moreover, another union territory -- Lakshwadweep has imposed closure of some activities in its area. Mizoram and Sikkim have not imposed any lockdown measures yet.
3. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has allowed malaria drug to be used for caregivers and healthcare workers in treating Covid-19 patients. 16 private labs in India can now conduct Covid-19 tests.
4. Maharashtra and Punjab declared statewide curfews as the number of cases of Covid-19, which has killed at least 16,000 around the world, rose to 471 in India. The case count has doubled in just three days.
5. Delhi Police has announced that people entering Delhi from any of its borders will require special “curfew passes” from today. The passes are only for inter-border movement, and will not be required for those living and commuting within Delhi.
6. For essential service providers, the movement shall be permitted on the basis of identity card and authorization issued by the concerned organisation.
7. Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences has shut down its OPD and all specialty services.
8. Passenger trains, interstate buses, metro train services have been suspended till March 31. Domestic flights have also been banned from Wednesday. Only cargo flights will be allowed.
9. In one of his first decisions after taking charge of his fourth term as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan late-night announced that curfew would be clamped on Bhopal and Jabalpur where coronavirus affected patients have been found.
10. Monday brought some good news. The number of recoveries around the world yesterday crossed the 100,000-mark. That’s a recovery rate of around 30 per cent.
A complete lockdown refers to all districts in a state being under a lockdown, whereas a partial lockdown means that only a certain number of districts have been put under restrictions. Essential services, however, are allowed to run in all areas.
