COVID-19 India: No Further Lockdown Likely, Rise In Migrants

India may not extend the lockdown further beyond April 14, 2020, say the latest reports.

While the country is undergoing a nation-wide lockdown until April 14, 2020, it may not go further due to rising public concerns.

The government has reportedly decided this in the wake of severe challenges pertaining to essential supplies and increasing movement of jobless to the countryside.

Owing to the financial challenges, poverty and hunger, thousands of daily wage labor across Mumbai and Delhi started moving, on foot, for their homes in the countryside.

Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba has reportedly declined reports over the supposed prolonged lockdown, stating that there were no plans of extending the lockdown.

Top health officials feel that the increasing movement of workers to their home will contribute to the rising number of cases in the remote areas of the country.

“It’s an evolving situation with daily new challenges coming up like having migratory populations moving from one place to another. Like non-affected states, adjoining affected states,” Dr S.K. Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control, said in a statement.

Central Government of India

The government has already issued directives asking authorities to stop the migrating population and set up temporary shelters on highways along with providing them all basic needs like food and water until the lockdown period.

Meanwhile, Nepal has recently announced extension of its lockdown by another week starting March 31, 2020.

“If the lockdown is not extended then the movement of people increases raising the risk of more virus cases,” says Surya Thapa, an aide to Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli.

So far, India has reported 1,071 COVID-19 positive cases so far.

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