India Considering To Extend COVID-19 Lockdown Beyond April 14 - Reports

India Considering to Extend COVID-19 Lockdown Beyond April 14 - Reports

The Indian federal government is considering the option of extending the COVID-19 quarantine measures upon the request of states for a more gradual return back to normal, media in India reported on Tuesday, citing government sources

NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2020) The Indian Federal government is considering the option of extending the COVID-19 quarantine measures upon the request of states for a more gradual return back to normal, media in India reported on Tuesday, citing government sources.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked fellow citizens to observe self-isolation on March 22 and then extended the measure for another three weeks, until April 14.

According to the NDTV broadcaster, Modi told ministers at a cabinet meeting to come up with a "graded plan," which many saw as indicating a gradual rollback. The report cited Union Minister Prakash Javadekar as saying that a group of officials was tasked with assessing the issue.

"We are monitoring the world situation every minute. A decision will be taken in the national interest. A decision in this regard will be declared at the right time," Javadekar said after the meeting, as quoted by NDTV.

The broadcaster then cited officials of a number of Indian states that favor extending the lockdown, among them Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

"We have consulted within the state on what should be the mode of withdrawal of lockdown. We don't want that everything should be opened on 15th April morning. We want it to be a systematic and scientific withdrawal of lockdown so that the benefits during the lockdown aren't wasted in a single day," Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was quoted as saying.

For the entire period of lockdown, India has suspended international and domestic air traffic and closed borders between Indian states. People were asked to refrain from leaving home for non-essential reasons. Educational, cultural and recreational sites have been temporarily closed.

The COVID-19 toll in India is 4,312 cases with 124 fatalities, as of Tuesday.