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VIRUS-HEALTH-INDIA
India extends lockdown for two weeks, with some easing
NEW DELHI, May 1, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The Indian government said on Friday
that the world’s biggest coronavirus lockdown will be extended for two weeks
beyond May 4, but with some easing of restrictions.
The home ministry said in a statement that in view of “significant gains
in the COVID-19 situation”, areas with few or no cases would see
“considerable relaxations”.
The lockdown imposed on March 25 has caused misery for millions of workers
in India’s vast informal sector and dealt a major blow to Asia’s third-
biggest economy.
However the stringent restrictions have been credited with keeping
confirmed cases of coronavirus to a relatively low 35,365 as of Friday, with
1,152 deaths.
But some experts have said the vast country of 1.3 billion, home to some
of the most congested cities in the world, is not testing enough.
In addition, there are concerns that if the virus catches hold in a big
way, India’s poorly funded health care system will be severely stretched.
The government has now divided India into red zones with “significant risk
of spread of the infection”; green zones with either zero cases or no
confirmed cases in the past 21 days; and those in between as orange.
Red and orange zones will continue to have intensified contact tracing,
house-to-house surveillance, and no movement in or out except for medical
emergencies and the supply of essential goods and services, the home ministry
statement said.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1949hrs