Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the extension of the 21-day lockdown from March 25 till May 3 as he appreciated the efforts made by people in abiding by the guidelines of social distancing.
In his video address to the nation, PM Modi also said that a new set of guidelines will be issued on Wednesday.
Here are the highlights from his address:
* People have made sacrifices to keep the losses to a minimum and gone through hardships to save India. Some are away from family, some faced problems in getting food but like disciplined soldiers, everyone has fulfilled their duty.
* Modi said the collective resolve and discipline shown by people is the power that our Constitution speaks of when it refers to ‘We the people of India’. This public display of our collective resolve is the real tribute to Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar, he said.
* Festivals are being celebrated in different parts of the country and yet amid the lockdown, people have in inspirational ways stayed home
* India did not wait for the problem to escalate and tried to stop it by taking swift decisions as soon as the problem appeared
{{/usCountry}}* India did not wait for the problem to escalate and tried to stop it by taking swift decisions as soon as the problem appeared
{{/usCountry}}* He said the lockdown will be extended till May 3. The work done by the states until April 20 will be evaluated. All those areas that do well in following rules and not allow hotspots to emerge, relaxations in some activities will be allowed.
* There will be preconditions, he said and added that if lockdown guidelines are broken, then all permissions will be revoked.
* He made a seven-point request which included respect for corona warriors - doctors, nurses, sweepers and police personnel. He also asked people to be kind to those who work for them. Don’t sack them, he said.
* He said while making new guidelines, the government has kept in mind the interests of the poor and daily wage workers. The Centre and state governments are also working together to ensure that farmers face minimal problems as harvesting of Rabi crops is underway
* He urged people to follow the rules of lockdown fully till May 3 and once again asked them to stay where they are.