Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the extension of nationwide lockdown after India crossed 10,000 mark in Coronavirus cases and urged citizens to follow government guidelines amid Coronavirus scare. The lockdown will now be in effect till May 3. PM said that the restrictions would be reviewed on April 20 and before that each district, each state will be monitored to check if the lockdown is being followed or not. He also added that some essential services will continue to be available for people as mentioned in guidelines.
So far India has been successful in preventing further spread of the disease. However, the death of 339 infected people cannot be taken lightly. The three-week lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people, which started at midnight on March 25, was scheduled to end on Tuesday, April 14. However, bearing in mind the rise in confirmed cases, an extension was only solution left to curtail the pandemic.
PM also emphasized seven guidelines for people to follow amid these testing times including social distancing, taking care of elderly and preventing attacks on doctors. Here’s what those pointers are-
- Take care of the elderly at home: This is the time to tackle the pandemic by ensuring that no one in your family gets in touch with the virus especially elderly who have a history of ailments. Everyone must adhere to this principle to ensure no one in your family suffers through this disease.
- Use homemade masks: Urging the need for social distancing and lockdown, PM Modi also advised citizens to use homemade masks at all times instead of heading out to the market to purchase a mask and adhere to ‘Lakshman Rekha’ of lockdown.
- Improve your immunity: PM advised people to consume warm water ‘Kadha’ and follow guidelines given by Ayush Ministry.
- Help the poor as much as possible: It would be a great gesture to lend a helping hand to those who cannot afford meals and medicines in these challenging times.
- Use Aarogya Setu App: Download the app on your phone to help curb COVID-19 spread and inspire others to use the application too.
- Be empathetic towards workers: PM Modi urged business owners and entrepreneurs to be compassionate towards their workers and not fire them in the time of crisis.
- Show respect to Coronawarriors: There have been cases in the country where some antisocial elements tried to attack Coronavirus warriors including doctors, nurses and police. PM Modi asked people to show respect to those who are working non-stop to keep us safe. Instead of pelting stones, he told people to hail the fighters and boost their morale.
While economically, we have paid a far greater price, it’s the lives of people what matters the most at this time and it has been a significant step, PM Modi concluded.
