Head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava, said that most of the country must go under strict lockdown of 6 to 8 weeks in the wake of rising covid cases. He said that all districts where the rate of infection is above 10 percent must go under complete lockdown to control the spread of the rampaging disease.

As per reports, 784 districts in the country have positivity rate above 10 percent which includes the capital, Mumbai and Bengaluru. This is the first time that a senior government official has outlined how long lockdown need to continue during crisis in India.

"The high positivity districts should remain (shut). If they come to 5% from 10% (positivity rate) we can open them, but that has to happen. That won't happen in six-eight weeks, clearly," Bhargava said in an interview at the New Delhi headquarters of the ICMR, the country's top medical research body. (as per source HT).

Hospitals and morgues are overflowing hence extra strict measures need to be adopted to stop this situation. Medical staff, medication, oxygen … everything is running short. Bhargava said that mass gatherings must not be allowed at any cost in any part of the world.