Covid-19 lockdown extended till May 3: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the nationwide lockdown, which was to end on Tuesday, will be extended till May 3 to control the spread of the coronavirus

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the nationwide lockdown, which was to end on Tuesday, will be extended till May 3 to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and a new set of guidelines will be issued on Wednesday.

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Though India had taken timely steps to control the virus, there is an urgent need to scale up efforts to ensure no new hotspots emerge and the casualty figures does not rise, he said during a televised address.

In view of suggestions from state governments and the people at large, it was decided to extend the lockdown, he said. “I request all Indians to not allow this virus to spread at any cost to newer areas. If even one new case emerges, or anyone succumbs to it, that will be a cause for worry,” he added.

Following recommendations from different ministries, state governments and sectoral experts that restrictions should be eased in areas where the virus isn’t prevalent, Modi said there will be relaxations for some activities. However, there will be extensive monitoring of hotspots and areas likely to turn into hotspots, he added.

“Till April 20, how much work has been done, will be evaluated. All those areas that emerge successful in this trial by fire, and not allow hotspots to emerge, in those areas we will allow relaxations in some activities,” he said.

“But there will be preconditions. If lockdown guidelines are broken, then all permissions will be revoked. We cannot be irresponsible nor allow anyone to be so,” he said.

India has reported 10,363 cases of the virus infection and 339 deaths so far, according to the Union health ministry.

Modi said his priority is to lessen the problems of the poor. While efforts have been made though schemes such as the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, more needs to done to address their problems, he said.

“The rabi crop is ready and efforts are being made to ensure farmers do not face problems. We have plenty of stocks of rations and drugs, and supply chain problems are being solved,” he said.

He assured the people that India is equipped to fight the pandemic, as it has 100,000 hospital beds and more than 600 exclusive hospitals ready for Covid-19 cases. But he urged younger scientists to help develop a vaccine for the virus.

Modi said it was clear India had chosen the right way to fight the global pandemic.

“Social distancing and lockdown has benefited the country, only from an economic point of view we’ve paid a price, but it is worth the lives saved. With limited resources, what we have achieved is a talking point globally,” he said.

Modi appreciated efforts by people to abide by the guidelines of the initial lockdown from March 25 and social distancing. He said these efforts had strengthened India’s fight against the Coronavirus.

“The sacrifices made by people have helped keep the losses to a minimum. People withstood problems to save the country. Some are away from their family, some faced problems in getting food. But like a disciplined solider, everyone has fulfilled their duty. I bow before the people,” he said.

He said the collective resolve and discipline shown by people is the power that the Constitution speaks of when it refers to “We the people of India”. This public display of collective resolve is the real homage to Bhimrao Ambedkar, he said.

“Festivals are being celebrated in different parts of the country, yet amid the lockdown bindings, people have in an inspirational way stayed home,” he said.

Modi said the people are partners, and witness to how India has been compared to other countries in fighting the global pandemic.

“…Before it reached 100 [cases], we started 14-day isolation for those coming from abroad. All public places, malls, gyms etc were closed down. When the cases reached 550, then we announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. We did not wait for the problem to worsen, but took early steps to nip it in the bud,” he said.

Referring to efforts made so far in battling this challenge, Modi said that though it is not advisable to compare India with others, yet the fact cannot be dismissed that the country is in a better position than some bigger, powerful nations where the death toll is higher.

“A month and a half ago, many countries were at par with India. Today those countries have much more cases, more than 25% to 30% compared to us, thousands have died. Had we not taken a holistic, integrated approach and timely steps, we cannot even imagine where we would have been, it sends a shiver down the spine,” he said.

While appreciating the role of state governments and others who have worked responsibly, Modi urged the people to follow seven steps to control the spread of the Coronavirus.

These include taking special care of the elderly and the unwell within the existing health conditions, observing social distancing and lockdown guidelines, using masks made at home, following AYUSH guidelines for increasing immunity, helping stop the spread of the virus by downloading the Arogya Setu Aap, helping as many poor families as possible, showing empathy to co-workers and not sacking people, and showing respect to the “corona warriors” who are on the frontline.