Lockdown extended in India by 2 weeks to fight COVID-19

NEW DELHI - The Indian government on Friday extended the ongoing lockdown beyond May 3 by two weeks in a bid to fight COVID-19 pandemic, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Home (Internal Security) Affairs.

The ongoing second phase of lockdown was to end on May 3. Now, it has been extended till May 17.

India has remained under lockdown since March 25.

The extension of the lockdown means all schools, colleges, educational institutions, shopping malls/markets, and modes of transportation will continue to remain shut. Though, according to the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, some relaxations would be allowed in those areas which have no COVID-19 cases.

"After a comprehensive review and in view of the Lockdown measures having led to significant gains in the COVID-19 situation in the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs today ordered to extend the Lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4," said an official press release.

The ministry also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (Hotspot), Green and Orange Zones. The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones.

The Green Zones will be the districts with either zero confirmed cases till date, or no confirmed case in the last 21 days. Those districts which are neither defined as Red nor Green shall be classified as Orange Zones, said the press release.

Meanwhile, a district with highest case load contributing to more than 80 percent cases of each state, or a district with doubling rate in less than four days, is classified as a Red Zone.

As per the latest figures, a total of 1,152 COVID-19 related deaths and a total of 35,365 positive cases have been recorded in India.