A large number of Indian districts have been forced into a lockdown after a steady rise in the cases of the new coronavirus was noted in the country. In response to the pandemic, even New Delhi will be under lockdown to avoid an extreme spread of the virus.
Major cities hosting key businesses and industries have gone into lockdown as cases rose to 390 in India. The country followed a 14-hour lockdown on Sunday, March 22, where the citizens stayed indoors in isolation. The central government asked certain districts to follow lockdown to avoid the spread of the Covid-19.
Some of the major cities under lockdown for the rest of the month are Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Most of the states in India have shut down markets, malls, cinemas, schools, colleges, and gyms. As of Sunday, there were reports of around 390 cases in India with 7 deaths.
The imposition of Section 144
The country has imposed Section 144, mandates the stopping of any gathering of more than 5 people. This has been imposed in certain parts of India. The curfew will also see the possible halt of railways, which carries at least 23 million people in a single day. The capital of the country announced a lockdown from Monday, March 23, as 6 cases emerged in New-Delhi. The Prime Minister proposed a 14-day quarantine during his national address.
In New Delhi, the borders will be closed except for food, water and fuel supplies. The capital has decided that the public transport will be shut, taxis and rickshaws will be kept off the roads. The homes of people who are quarantined in Delhi have been marked with stickers to hopefully stop them from going out.
The country saw the most increase in the Covid-19 cases on Sunday, as more than 100 people tested positive for the virus. The government said that the cases that have been reported are mainly of people who had traveled outside the country but new cases in New Delhi and a remote location in one of the states in India indicate that there are local transmissions as well.
Fewer than 20,000 people tested in India
The country with 1.3 billion people has only reported around 400 cases after testing fewer than 20,000 people. But, the government has begun to start testing in every part of the country where people have been admitted with respiratory issues such as pneumonia. Some of the states other than New Delhi have also stopped public transport and the closure of non-essential businesses.
