(Image source from: theprint.in)

India, which is on its last day of the 21 days lockdown, has been advised by the Union Government to further extend the lockdown till May 03. The same was facilitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video that he shared with the nation at 10 am.

With India crossing the 10,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with over 1200 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, this extension of the lockdown was the need of the hour.

The Lockdown 2.0 will come into effect from April 14, 2020 to May 03, 2020.

The extension of the lockdown is an attempt to further contain the spread of the virus and ensure that the remaining “low risk” areas are not converted into hotspots.

PM Modi has lauded and appreciated the kind of cooperation that the authorities and the citizens have shown during this time of crisis and applauded India in being a lot ahead with their decisions. He further said that India has successfully been able to contain the spread by a lot in comparison to some of the other nations, which have experienced the wrath of this virus.

PM Modi stated saying that “Even though the social distancing and lockdown has affected people financially, it was the right thing to do.” There is nothing more important than the health of the people of the country at this point, the PM said.

The decision for the extension of the lockdown till May 03 was put in place after consulting with all the Chief Ministers of the states and also the higher task force managing the coronavirus impacts on India.

Several of the Chief Ministers, including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has come forwarded and applauded the Prime Minister on his decision on extending the lockdown and putting people’s health and safety first than the economy.

PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India’s position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 11, 2020

PM Narendra Modi has also stated saying that the officials are going to be extremely strict and vigilant across the country till April 20 to further prevent the spread of the virus.

In case the less affected area are not under threat, there are chances that the lockdown might experience a little lenience in the restrictions henceforth. But, nothing can be said for sure at this point.

PM Modi also highlighted seven important points during his televised address stating:

• Take care of the poor in your vicinity and who are in need of your help around
• Take care of the old people in your home and prevent them from stepping outside of the houses
• Follow the rules imposed by the lockdown in your area
• Download and install the Aarogya Setu app on your phone
• Follow the instructions shared by the Ministry of Health on optimising your immune system
• Use homemade masks at all times to ensure better protection and prevention of the spread of the virus

The lockdown might be eased in some places following April 20, depending on the situation of the country and how things pan out in terms of the spread or number of confirmed cases.

By Somapika Dutta