Lockdown Till May 3, Says PM; Review Of Restrictions On April 20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended till May 3 the current lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus in India and said the restrictions could be reviewed for the least affected parts of the country on April 20.

"After taking into account all suggestions, we have decided to extend the lockdown till May 3," PM Modi said in his 25-minute address shortly after India crossed the 10,000-mark in COVID-19 cases.

"Till April 20, each district, each state will be monitored closely to see whether the lockdown is being followed. Then we can decide on relaxing the restrictions," said the Prime Minister, who used a traditional red and white "gamcha" or cloth towel as a mask before beginning his address.

Some essential activities could be allowed after April 20 in parts of the country that showed some improvement in fighting the infection, he explained. The government will put out detailed guidelines on the lockdown.

"We absolutely must ensure that this virus does not spread to any further parts of the country. We should be worried every time we hear that someone in some part of the country has died of the virus. We must ensure that new hotspots do not spring up."

India has 10,363 COVID-19 cases and there have been 339 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry data.

India was in much better shape than many major countries in the fight against coronavirus, said the Prime Minister. "If the country had not taken a holistic, integrated approach and had not acted fast, then it is frightening to think what it would have been like today," he said.

Asserting the need for a strict lockdown to ensure that COVID-19 did not spread to a single new area, the PM said citizens had persevered and confronted every difficulty to ensure that India was ahead in the fight against the virus. "The power of 'We The People Of India' has been seen in the country during the lockdown," he said.

He also put out a seven-point charter for people to follow, which included social distancing, taking care of the elderly and the poor, protecting jobs and preventing attacks on doctors and other frontline COVID-19 workers.

Over the past few days, there was speculation about the removal of certain restrictions to restart the economy, which was already in a record slump and has taken a big hit in the coronavirus shutdown. With industries, shops and factories closing down, thousands in the unorganized sector have been left without jobs.

PM Modi offered no immediate economic package but said he felt the pain of "our poor brothers and sisters", with thousands of families struggling for food and many migrant workers unable to reach their villages.

During his meeting with 13 Chief Ministers on Saturday, PM Modi had agreed that a longer lockdown was necessary to fight the highly contagious COVID-19, but had talked about saving livelihoods as well as lives.

"Jaan bhi, jahaan bhi (both life and economy are important)," he told the Chief Ministers, compared to what he had said three weeks ago while announcing the total nationwide lockdown - "Jaan hai toh jahaan hai (the world exists if life exists)."

Some ministries like Commerce and Industries suggested that select sectors be allowed to reopen with reasonable safeguards to protect wages and to boost economic activity. 

The PM said social distancing and the lockdown had been immensely beneficial in the fight to control the rapid spread of the virus. 

"Yes, economically, we have paid a great price for it, but from the point of view of saving human lives, it has been a significant step," he said.