Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced in his address on television, that the nationwide lockdown in the wake of Coronavirus, has been extended till 3 May 2020. He said that the decision was taken after multiple discussions with state heads and an understanding of he mindset of people, where an extension to the lockdown was preferred. Some states have already increased the lockdown period.  The regulations will be in place as it is, till 3 May, allbeit with intermittent relief based on performance and adherence to regulations in place during the extended lockdown. Districts, Police station areas, States will be monitored till 20 April with full restrictions in place.

It was close to 10 a.m. and people were seated in front of their television screens, a moment they couldn't miss at any cost. PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation today on 14 April, which happens to be Ambedkar Jayanti. Bringing forth the points discussed by the PM in his address...

India has so far managed to arrest the influence of Corona to a large extent. In the wake of shortage of food, inability to travel, communication, with people staying away from families, it has been possible only because of the resilience shown by people. Thanks to the people of India. We the People of India have come forth with immense strength and I pay my respect to all. Today is the birth anniversary of the founder of our Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar and the display of strength by one and all is a real tribute to Baba Saheb. Baba Saheb had dreamt of this united strength and we are doing him proud by following his principles. - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

He added that it was gratifying to see that over the last few weeks, people across the country had celebrated festivals at home. Each one celebrated the festivals at home in a unique manner, while following the lockdown, which is the need of the hour. Many states have celebrated the new year in their own ways with full enthusiasm. 

Prime Minister Modi signaled in as many words, that India has been at an advantage in implementing lockdown and social distancing. The economic costs have been high. A large percentage of people have lived and managed with limited resources. The method adopted by India is a model that is being appreciated across India as well as the world. States of the union have been very welcoming and have addressed this with full solidarity.

People have witnessed and have been participants in the happenings around the globe, he said. Going into retrospective, the PM said that when we came to know of Covid19, we started being vigilant by screening all those who were entering our country from outside. All public places were shut down. Before we reached 100 cases, we had taken accurate measures to prevent coronavirus from spreading. All tourists who had entered India were subjected to a 14-day quarantine. India established a comprehensive lockdown before we could touch the mark of 550 as a proactive means to restrict further augmentation.

• Care for your elders – especially those who are already suffering from chronic diseases
• Lockdown and social distancing to be adhered to strictly
• Health/Ayurvedic Department – regulations and restrictions to be in place, follow the guidelines, drink warm water
• Download Aarogya Setu Mobile App and ask others to download, too
• Feed and take care of poor families
• Businesses need to ensure that they do not fire any employees in the wake of mounting losses, as it is these times that the employees need support
• Honour Corona Fighters – Doctors, Nurses, Police, Cleaners, Administration. Respect them fully

Modi said that this is not the time to make comparison,s but the facts are there in front of us and we as the stakeholders to this decision, need to understand the facts and do not compare with other countries. If we compare our figures to modern developed nations, India is in a much better position than others. A month back the countries were in parallel to Indian situations. However, over the last few weeks, the cases have multiplied, deaths have gone up. If india had not adopted a holistic and integrated approach, we would have been in a very tough situation; it would have been unimaginable. But the approach that we took, turned out to be the best possible means of controlling the situation.

However, Corona is still spreading across the globe. Health experts, governments across the globe and India have become more cautious. How do we ensure that this stops? How do we lessen the difficulties of the people? 

Some relief measures have been put into place that will be prioritised for the poor and daily wage earners. PMGKY will play a big role in managing the situation for the daily wagers and the poor. New guidelines will be incorporated for their needs. Since this is the time of harvesting the rabi crop, steps will be taken to minimise their problems and maximise the flow of cash to the farmers.

India has enough stock of medicine and food. Supply chain logistics are being take care of. Healthcare is in place. For 10,000 patients where 1500-1600 beds are required.  India has  capacity of 100,000 beds specially for COVID19 patients, God forbid we reach that number. Over 600 hospitals across the country are taking care of only corona patients. Though the resources are limited, PM requested the young scientists to come forward and work on the vaccine required for corona. 

There wil be strict discipline and some leverage will be provided to the masses though it will be conditional, post assessment on 20 April. If the rules of lockdown are broken and if the virus spreads, all leverages will be withdrawn. No negligence will be allowed in any case. Areas which ensure that no hotspot increases will get the benefit of restriction lifting.  Hence it is for people once again, to own the task at hand and ensure that their house, neighborhood, community is safe and following the rules of the lockdown.  This will emanate across the city. .