Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 24
India on Tuesday declared a 21-day lockdown across the country with effect from midnight as a major enforcement exercise to make people stay at home and prevent rapid spread of Covid-19 as the country enters a decisive stage to combat the global pandemic.
The country will have to pay an economic price for it (lockdown) but to save life of every citizen is a priority….If we don’t handle these 21 days well, our country can be pushed back by 21 years.—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
“It is a sort of curfew and more strict steps will be taken than during Janata Curfew… it is a very necessary step in this decisive war… the country will have to pay an economic price for it but to save the life of every citizen is my priority and that of the Central and state governments,” the PM said in his 30-minute address to the nation, the second in five days.
As the number of infected continues to mount, PM Modi said experience of countries affected severely and those which exercised restraint showed that social distancing was the only way to prevent the spread and required 21 days to break the cycle.
He said these 21 days could make or break this fight and “if we do not control (the pandemic), the country can be pushed back by 21 years, some families will be devastated. Forget going out, stay at home…do not violate the Lakshman Rekha at your doorstep”, the PM Modi said, appealing to the citizens with folded hands.
The PM said as per World Health Organisation estimates, one person with Covid-19 infection could spread it to thousands. An infected person may appear normal initially as symptoms take several days to manifest, he warned. Citing statistics on the geometric progression of the disease, he said if the world touched 1 lakh cases in 67 days, the count would reach 2 lakh cases in 11 days and 3 lakh in four days.
The governments, both Centre and state, he said would accord priority to healthcare and were shoring up testing facilities, personal protection equipment, isolation beds, intensive care units, ventilators and other equipment. The Centre had earmarked Rs 15,000 crore to meet this health challenge.
PM Modi said while the Janata Curfew demonstrated the collective resolve of the citizens, experience of the past two days during lockdown in several parts of the country showed people were not taking it very seriously and if this trend continued, India would have to pay a very heavy price. Thanking everyone — doctors, nurses paramedics, support staff, pathologists, lab technical staff, ambulance drivers, health workers, the police, law-enforcing agencies and the media — he urged the citizens to exercise utmost restraint during this period of trial.
What is exempt
- Grocers, meat, fish, fruit, veggie, fodder outlets
- Banks, ATMs, hospitals, chemists
- Print and electronic media
- Power, sanitation, water, telecom
- Petrol pump, LPG outlets
Under Lockdown
- Rail, road, air transportation
- Offices, edu institutions, parks, places of worship etc
6 more +ve in Punjab
With six more persons testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, the total number of cases has gone up to 29 in Punjab. The six were relatives of the 70-year-old Nawanshahr resident who died of the disease last week. While three of the six who tested positive are his grandchildren, the remaining are his relatives, including brother-in-law (50), in Phillaur. Two of the patients had accompanied the victim to a doctor during a check-up. TNS
EC defers RS elections
The EC on Tuesday decided to postpone the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 26 in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Election to fill 55 seats in the Upper House of Parliament was to be held on March 26, but 37 candidates from 10 states have already been elected without a contest. The decision on holding the election for the remaining 18 seats will be taken based on the prevailing situation. TNS
Tokyo: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 following the Covid pandemic, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday. The Games were scheduled for July 24-August 9.
US may pip Europe
Geneva: The Covid-19 outbreak in the US has the potential to exceed that in Europe, the WHO said on Tuesday as the number of reported cases in the US surged. WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said 85 per cent of new cases reported to the global body overnight came from Europe and the US, “now the two main drivers of the outbreak”. AFP
New virus in China
Beijing: A man in China’s southwestern Yunnan province has died of hantavirus, a disease spread by rodents, official media reported on Tuesday. The development comes even as China prepares to lift prolonged lockdown over Covid-19 epicentre Wuhan on April 8, thus lifting the mass quarantine over the city with a population of over 11 million. AFP