Will India stay indoors after April 15? Here's what the PM indicated

On Wednesday, while interacting with the Parliament floor leaders via videoconferencing, the prime minister said he would take a decision on extending the lockdown after a meeting with chief ministers on Saturday.
 

According to a government statement, the PM said “several state governments, district administrations, and experts had asked for an extension of the lockdown”.
 

However, this is not the first time that PM has hinted at an extension. Last week, the prime minister suggested a graded lifting of the 21-day lockdown for areas other than the Covid-19 hotspots in the country.
 

Several state governments have also put forward their suggestions on graded lifting, including running special trains, and allowing some industrial activity.
 

However, there are concerns in several states, particularly those with bustling urban centres, like Maharashtra, that lifting the lockdown now could be counterproductive and any gains in controlling the spread might be lost.
 

After the four-hour meeting, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said nearly 80 per cent of political leaders, including himself, suggested to the PM that the lockdown be extended.
 

That apart, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Wednesday that authorities had sealed 20 Covid-19 hotspots, including the entire affected street near Gandhi Park, Malviya Nagar, the entire affected streets - Gali No 6 , L 1 Sangam Vihar, Shahajahanabad society, plot no 1, Sector 11, Dwarka, Dinpur Village among others, in the national capital to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
 

The Uttar Pradesh government has also sealed off Covid-19 hotspots in 15 identified districts of the state till the end of the 21-day nationwide lockdown on April 14.
 

The districts where orders will be implemented are Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lucknow, Varanasi, Shamli, Meerut, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Kanpur, Basti, Ferozabad, Saharanpur, Maharajganj, and Sitapur.
 

Aaccording to the state’s Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi, a total of 104 hotspots spread across 81

police stations in these districts have been identified, wherein a “complete lockdown”, along with intensified patrolling to ensure compliance, would be enforced from midnight on...

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