Coronavirus: COVID-19 Hotspots In UP Sealed Till April 15, Masks Will Be Mandatory

Hotspots across 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh - places which have seen multiple cases of coronavirus - will be sealed till April 15, the state Chief secretary said today. The sealing will begin at midnight, the officer said, assuring that 100 per cent home delivery of essential items will take place in these areas.The list includes Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar which includes the industrial township of Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Shamli and Saharanpur.

The state government says they will soon pass an order that anyone stepping out of their house will need to cover their face with a mask or cloth.

Uttar Pradesh has so far seen 326 cases of coronavirus, three patients have died and 21 have recovered.

Hotspots are places that have seen multiple cases of COVID-19. The union health ministry has also identified two other kinds of hotspots. "Emerging Hotspots" are areas that saw a spurt in cases over a two-week period, and "Potential Hotspots", which have a high population density.

There are 15 districts in Uttar Pradesh where the number of COVID-19 cases is more than six. Within these districts, there are areas where there could be one or maybe two cases . These are "hotspots" and will be sealed, the government said. A complete list of such areas is expected this evening.

The announcement by the Yogi Adiyanath government comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after a meeting with key political leaders, indicated that the nationwide 21-day lockdown could be extended. The lockdown - announced by PM Modi on March 24 -- is expected to be lifted at midnight on April 15.

The Prime Minister said he would consult the state chief ministers, "but from all accounts the lifting of the lockdown is not possible", sources told NDTV. A decision is likely to be taken after the Prime Minister's video conference with state Chief Ministers on April 11.

Earlier this week, Uttar Pradesh had indicated that it would prefer an extension of the lockdown.

Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, said: "When we open the lockdown it will be after we have ensured that the state is corona free. If even one corona positive person is left, it will be very difficult to open the lockdown and that is why it may take time."

Some other states, including BJP-ruled Assam and Karnataka have expressed concern about the lifting of the lockdown, indicating they favour a phased process. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Congress's Ashok Gehlot, too, spoke in favour of a phased withdrawal.