Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the all India lockdown by another 19 days. Thus the running curbs, the COVID-19 preventive measure, will continue till May 3. Making the announcement today, The Prime Minister said that there was a consensus in the country for the extension of the lockdown. Some states have already moved in this direction.
In his 21 minute address to the nation today- the final day of the present stint of the lockdown, PM Modi explained the gains of the lockdown, presented the preparedness of the government against the pandemic and praised the public for their restraint, as he encouraged them for the second stint.
The timely lockdown has protected the country from severe COVID-19 damages, PM Modi said referring to the situation in other countries.
As of today, COVID-19 patients in the USA, Italy, Spain and many other countries count in hundreds of thousands. Thousands are dying of the pandemic daily in these countries. On the contrary, India is dealing with little over 10,000 COVID-19 cases. Death toll numbers below 400 as on April 13. Hence, “India is in a manageable state.”, Modi said.
He agreed on the loss on the economic front due to the lockdown, yet, he preferred life over the economy. He said, “There is no comparison for the lives of the Indian citizens.”
As per, what the prime said, the second lockdown term will have stricter measures. Regions down to the village level would be under strict vigilance till April 20. The result during the period may qualify them to get some relaxation for some activities. However, the relaxations are subject to regular review. The details of the lockdown protocol will come tomorrow.
Besides, he assured the country of ample food, medicine, other essential goods and infrastructures to tackle adversity.
In the end, he gave seven plans to get victory over the pandemic. Taking the utmost care of the elderly family members was his first plan, while staying indoor at any cost and using masks was the second. He asked people to follow AYUSH advice to improve immunity and download the Arogya APP to get COVID-19 alerts. As his fifth and sixth plans, he advised people to help the poor and the employers not to remove their employees. Finally, he urged people to respect Corona warriors.
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