India Lockdown: The nationwide lockdown has brought down the pollution levels in more than 90 cities.
Highlights
- Government asked states to curb migration from cities
- PM Modi declared 21-day lockdown this week
- People violating lockdown "playing with own lives": PM
The government on Sunday asked states to ensure the 21-day lockdown, asking them to help curb the exodus of migrant workers from cities, as the overall number of COVID-19 positive people crossed the 1,000-mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who declared a 21-day lockdown last week, warned against violation of the restrictions, saying those doing so were "playing with their own lives". He also apologized for the lockdown decision inconveniencing the poor, but made it clear that it was the need of the hour.
Here are the top 10 developments on Coronavirus India Lockdown:
"I apologise for taking these harsh steps which have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people. I know some of you would be angry with me also. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat".
Twenty nine people have died because of the virus. The deaths were reported from various states including Bengal, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar. A death each has been reported from these states. Maharashtra has reported 6 deaths, Madhya Pradesh 2, Karnataka 3, Gujarat 4, and Delhi 2. On Monday, the number of those infected rose to 1,071.
States should seal borders and encourage migrant labourers to stay where they are by providing food and shelter, the Centre said today in an attempt to ensure the countrywide lockdown that had gone off-track over the last few days. Those who violated lockdown and went home, should be placed in 14-day quarantine, the Centre said, asking the states to provide them with food and shelter during this period.
In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all the district magistrates to trace over 1.5 lakh migrants who have returned to the state over the last few days, quarantine them in state-run camps and ensure arrangements for their food and other everyday needs.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has again appealed to migrant workers not to leave.In a series of tweets in Hindi, he said, "I assure you that the Delhi government has made sufficient arrangements for your food and accommodation. For now, do not go to your villages in the country's interest".
The Congress launched a sharp attack on the government over the situation of migrant workers, saying the Narendra Modi government "forgot" about them. the party said. Calling it the "worst internal migration since partition", the Congress questioned why community kitchens and other systems like the angawadis could not be prepared before the "Janata Curfew"."Shouldn't the government have made preparations? This was not unexpected," the party said.
With domestic flights grounded, SpiceJet has offered services of its aircraft and crew members to the government for any humanitarian mission during the 21-day lockdown and the airline is ready to operate some flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Patna to help the migrant workers, especially those from Bihar, its CMD Ajay Singh said on Friday.
Another batch of 275 Indians have been brought from Iran, reached Jodhpur. They would be kept at the Indian army's wellness centre. 277 Indians evacuated earlier this month from Iran are already lodged at this centre.
The nationwide lockdown has brought down the pollution levels in more than 90 cities, including Delhi. According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the impact of the measures taken due to the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in a drop in PM2.5 (fine particulate pollutant) by 30 per cent in Delhi and by 15 per cent in Ahmedabad and Pune.
Technically called the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 or SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus causes the COVID-19 disease, originated in China's Wuhan city. A novel virus is one that has not been previously identified in humans.
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