New Delhi, Aprill 14 2020. Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi today announced that present lock-down will be extended till may 3, saying it is very necessary to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
In a televised address to the nation, Modi said implementation of the lockdown will be strictly ensured in coming days to ensure that the virus does not spread to new areas. The prime minister said detailed guidelines on implementation of the new lockdown will be announced on Wednesday.
Some relaxations may be allowed after April 20 in places where there is no hotspot, he said.
He said India has managed to contain the spread of infection well due to its holistic approach in dealing with the crisis and sacrifices made by people of the country in the fight produced positive results.
Modi said India received huge benefits from the 21-day lockdown in checking the pandemic and added that the country has dealt with the situation better with limited resources.
The lockdown that came into effect on March 25 was to expire on midnight of April 14.
The drastic measure shone the spotlight on the miseries of lakhs of migrant workers whose journeys on foot from several urban centres to their villages hundreds of kilometres away grabbed headlines for many days last month.
The catastrophic effect of the lockdown on the overall economy and livelihoods of lakhs of migrant workers triggered severe concerns following which a number of chief ministers in their video conference with Modi on Saturday sought some kind of relaxation for a number of sectors.
Late last month, the government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package aimed at providing relief to those hit hard by the lockdown as well as an insurance cover for healthcare professionals handling virus infected people.
- India’s fight against coronavirus is going on very strongly, says PM Modi in address to the nation.
- Because of people’s sacrifices, India has been able to contain coronavirus spread to a great extent: Modi
- “Despite pain and suffering you have performed you duties like a disciplined soldier to serve the country. This is the power of we the people of India,” says Modi.
- This display of our collective strength is true tribute to B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, says PM
- Appreciate people’s discipline for the lockdown amidst festive season
- India took the early initiative of containing the coronavirus and screening people arriving at airports
- Compared to many developed countries, based on statistics available, India has done much better job of containing the coronavirus spread
- When India had 550 coronavirus cases, we went for a 21-day lockdown to prevent spread of the virus, says PM.
- People have had to pay an incredible economic cost, says Modi. But the economic cost of social distancing and lockdown has been worth it in terms of saving precious lives.
- Had India not taken a holistic and integrated approach to containing the spread in time the situation today would have been extremely bad.
- Suggestions from various stakeholders, including states and people, have favoured extension of lockdown: PM
- Lockdown extended till May 3 to contain coronavirus spread, says PM Modi
- Lockdown will be stricter, detailed guidelines will be issued tomorrow: Modi
- Hotspots have to be identified and contained strictly
- New hotspots will be a challenge to our resolve. therefore the next week will have strict observation of the lockdown
- Areas that show improvement may see some relaxation after April 20
- Sufficient supply of food grains available, and arrangements are being made to facilitate harvest and procurement of the new crop.
- Health infrastructure has also been boosted and is being further increased rapidly
- Urges Indian scientist to to develop vaccines and treatments
- I ask for your cooperation on 7 fronts, says Modi.
-Urges people to take care of the elderly, cover face with home-made masks
-follow lockdown strictly
-provide food to the needy
-Follow suggestions given by Aayush
-Download Arogya setu mobile app
-Respect the corona warriors such as docs, nurses, police - These seven points will be the path to victory, says Modi
- https://youtu.be/OKvi-2_o6y0
