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Supreme Court seeks response from Centre​ on plea to evacuate 850 Indian Shia pilgrims stranded in the Iranian city of Qom

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court seeks response from Centre​ on plea to evacuate 850 Indian Shia pilgrims stranded in the Iranian city of Qom

The apex court of the country has issued a notice to the central government, directing it to respond to plea that seeks directive be issued to the Government to evacuate 850 Indian Shia pilgrims marooned in the city of Qom, the Iranian epicentre of coronavirus outbreak. Amidst the nationwide lockdown in the wake of rising coronavirus cases in India, the Supreme Court on Friday conducted a hearing on video-conferencing on the immediate evacuation of the stranded Indian Shia pilgrims.

A bench presided over by Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant issued a notice to the Centre to respond to the plea that sought the evacuation of pilgrims from Iran, one of the worst-hit Asian countries by COVID-19 with more than 2300 fatalities. The petition filed in the top court asserted that the pilgrims, who hailed mostly from a poor financial background, were scheduled to return weeks ago but because of the coronavirus onslaught in the central Asian country, got stranded there indefinitely.

The bench ordered the next hearing in the case on March 30.

A plea was filed by one Mustafa M.H whose three relatives are stuck in Iran. The petitioner was represented by Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde who contended before the court that devotees were trapped in Iran without any health/medical facilities and food supplies. He also claimed that most of the pilgrims have run out of funds and are dependent upon the generosity of the locals.

“In addition, they have been sheltered in hotel rooms in groups of 4-5. It is worth noting that the situation in Iran with regards to the spread of the virus has been extremely critical. There are about 250 people within the group of pilgrims who could be tested positive for corona and thereby pose a grave health hazard and could lead to deleterious consequences,” the petition read.

The petition read, “The petitioner (Mustafa) is constrained to move this court in extreme exigency under Article 32 of the Constitution of India praying inter alia for issuance of an appropriate writ, order or direction including the writ of mandamus for the immediate evacuation of the citizens of India who are stranded in Iran, in view of the situation arising out of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).”

Furthermore, along with seeking direction from the apex court on the evacuation of pilgrims immediately, the petitioner, in his plea, also asserted that till the time pilgrims are not evacuated, the Central government should provide adequate health and medical support. The petition which was filed through advocate Ashish Virman also said, “The Centre be directed to ensure that the passengers are quarantined in a manner prescribed by the WHO.”

Wuhan Coronavirus: The United Nations lauds India’s 21-day comprehensive lockdown

OpIndia Staff
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Wuhan Coronavirus: The United Nations lauds India’s 21-day comprehensive lockdown

On March 25, Renata Dessallien, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in India, hailed India’s comprehensive lockdown in the wake of Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. She had also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for social distancing.

Dessallien said, “The UN system in India is fully mobilized and ready to further step up its support to the Government of India to fight COVID-19. I believe that if we work together, we can overcome one of the greatest health threats of our lifetimes.” She along with WHO Representative to India, Dr Henk Bekedam, had also met the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan on March 24 wherein they lauded the BJP Government for its “early and robust response.”

On March 24, WHO Executive J Ryan was quoted as saying, “India is a very populous country and the future of this virus will be considered in a very highly and densely populated country. India led the world in eradicating two pandemics, small-pox and polio so India has a tremendous capacity. There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before “

Earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also praised India’s efforts in containing the spread of coronavirus. The representative of WHO to India, Henk Bekedam said, “The commitment from the Indian government and the Prime Minister’s Office has been enormous, very impressive. It is one of the reasons why India is still doing quite well. I am very impressed that everyone has been mobilised.”

He added, “We have very good research capacity in India and especially at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and department of health research. They have been able to identify the virus. Now India will continue to be part of the research community.”

Coronavirus fight: Indian Railways readies more than 1 lac wagons of essential supplies in 4 days

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus fight: Indian Railways readies more than 1 lac wagons of essential supplies in 4 days

On Friday, the official Twitter handle of the Indian Railways informed that more than 1,00,000 wagons of essential items had been readied in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. The essential supplies included the likes of foodgrains, fruits, vegetables, sugar, salt, dairy products, coal and petroleum products. The feat was achieved within 4 days wherein workers toiled 24 hours round the clock.

In a bid to meet the large demand for milk in the National Capital, the Guntakal Division of Indian Railways transported milk from Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh to Delhi yesterday.

Earlier, the Indian Railways had offered its coaches and cabins to be used as isolation wards for the patients who are tested positive Wuhan coronavirus. It will be used as a hospital on the wheel for mainly those areas where people have inadequate medical facilities. Reportedly, the proposal was discussed in a meeting of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal with Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav, General Managers of all zones and Divisional Railway Managers through video conferencing on Wednesday.

The idea popped up after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the cabinet to look for innovative ideas in order to boost medical facilities across the nation in wake of novel coronavirus crisis that is spreading rapidly. The compartments of railways will be used as a hospital on wheels with consultation rooms, medical stores, Intensive Care Unit, and pantry. These hospitals on wheels will be settled anywhere across the country wherever the patients will be found with inadequate medical facilities. Railways will also have a slew of Accident Relief Medical Equipment Vans (ARME) called as rail ambulances.

Mamata Banerjee now blames centre for not providing enough Covid-19 test kits, union health minister says Bengal has used just 10% of tests available

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee now blames centre for not providing enough Covid-19 test kits, union health minister says Bengal has used just 10% of tests available

While the entire country has come together to resolve the gargantuan crisis the Wuhan Coronavirus has pushed the world into, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, compelled by her propensity to defame Modi and his government, is busy playing petty politics over the issue as serious as this one.

Taking aim at the BJP-led central government, Mamata Banerjee had asserted that her state had not received enough coronavirus testing kits from the Central government. In her statement on March 23, she had said the state health department is left with only 40 kits to test for COVID-19, at a time when the number of cases has risen to seven, and the state has registered its first coronavirus-related death.

Acting on the CM’s statement, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar asked the Union health minister to ensure adequate facilities and test kits for the state.

But like always, this time too, she was caught in her own trap. Countering her claims Dr Harsh Vardhan in a report to Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar dated March 25, replied that as of now, Bengal has enough testing kits. 40 kits do not mean that only 40 samples can be tested, the letter from Harsh Vardhan which reached the Raj Bhawan on Thursday said.

As per a report in Swarajya, more than 3,000 samples can be tested with the 40 kits, and according to the state government’s own figures, 297 swab samples have been tested until now. Doctors say that one kit can test 70 to 100 swab samples. He said that the state has conducted less than 10 per cent of the total tests available to it.

Banerjee had also complained that Bengal does not have adequate testing facilities and that the Union government was not providing permission to empanel more testing facilities.

But this allegation too turned out to be false. Dr Harsh Vardhan’s letter dated Wednesday (March 25) said Bengal has four testing centres, the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) and Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER) in Kolkata, Midnapore Medical College and the North Bengal Medical College.

On Wednesday evening, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) gave permission to Kolkata’s Apollo Gleneagles Hospital to conduct tests. Four other private hospitals in the city are awaiting a similar nod from the ICMR.

Harsh Vardhan’s letter to Governor Dhankar said that NICED has kits to conduct 1,000 tests, IPGMER can conduct nearly 1,100 more tests, while Midnapore Medical College and North Bengal Medical College can carry out 200 tests each.

Moreover, the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata that had been approved by the ICMR as a testing centre incidentally, received 200 testing kits on Wednesday, the same day when Mamata had hurled accusations against the Union government.

Earlier, Mamata had said that her government has placed West Bengal under partial lockdown to fight against coronavirus, but the Centre is not helping the cause much by allowing the operation of domestic flights.

Calling the operation of flights a “huge breach of shut down and quarantine protocol”, Minister Mamata Banerjee, reportedly, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a ban on all flights coming to the state.

While Prime Minister Modi had appealed for ‘Janta Curfew‘ across India on Sunday, Mamata Banerjee had chosen the same day to distribute rice and potato in schools, triggering allegations that the Mamata Banerjee govt has decided to do this just to defy the Prime Minister’s appeal.

Earlier, the West Bengal CM had gone on to accuse the central government of ‘creating coronavirus panic’ to ‘divert attention’ from Delhi anti-Hindu riots. She even alleged that BJP killed those who died in the communal violence in the national capital. The TMC chief alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is trying to cover up the riots with coronavirus scare.

WHO chief who shielded China in the wake of Wuhan Coronavirus had covered up other epidemics in the past: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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WHO chief who shielded China in the wake of Wuhan Coronavirus had covered up other epidemics in the past: Here are the details

The World Health Organization (WHO) finds itself at a tough spot in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. It has been accused of ‘siding with’ the Chinese government by none other than the president of the United States himself. WHO and its director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have come under severe criticism for their conduct since the pandemic broke out in China. The organization took long enough in declaring it a pandemic, leading to countries not being vigilant enough on time.

In January, WHO had endorsed the conclusion of Chinese authorities that the Novel Coronavirus does not spread from person to person, and stated that it does not recommend any specific health measures for travellers to and from Wuhan. WHO also ignored Taiwan which had informed them that it has evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Taiwan wrote to WHO on the 31st of December, but WHO kept denying human-to-human transmission till mid-January. Experts are of the view that this laxity and callousness is responsible for the catastrophe that has struck the world and that the organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, like China’s Xi Jinping, should be held accountable for recklessly managing this deadly pandemic.

Now, as it turns out, Tedros was accused of covering up epidemics in his home country Ethiopia even while he was the health minister in the government days before he became the director of the WHO. A prominent global health expert, who was also an informal advisor to Tedros’s rival for the WHO top spot, had accused him of covering up three epidemics in Ethiopia. “Dr. Tedros is a compassionate and highly competent public health official,” Lawrence O. Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, said. “But he had a duty to speak truth to power and to honestly identify and report verified cholera outbreaks over an extended period.”

Tedros was Ethiopia’s health minister between 2005-12 and outbreaks had occurred in 2006, 2009 and 2011. He had said these were only “acute watery diarrhoea” in areas where testing is “difficult”. However, in 2007, the UN and other aid agencies insisted that laboratory tests showed that the deaths were due to cholera. Ethiopia was also accused of covering up a cholera epidemic in 2017. New York Times reported that the Ethiopian government was saying the same thing in 2017 what Tedros had said on previous occasions.

NYT noted, “Somalia, which borders Ethiopia, is currently battling a large cholera outbreak, and a new vaccine is being deployed there. Aid officials believe cholera is also circulating in the neighbouring regions of Ethiopia, but without confirmation, they cannot release the vaccine. Ethiopia’s health ministry is still calling it “acute watery diarrhoea,” and told VOA News last month that it would not change that report without laboratory confirmation, which it said it did not have.”

Tedros’s conduct as the health minister of Ethiopia raises further questions about the manner in which WHO was seen prioritizing China’s grip over the narrative of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. It also casts further aspersions regarding the functioning and mannerisms of such global institutions which are often shrouded in secrecy. After all of this is over, clamour may well rise across the world for an investigation into the WHO’s conduct during the entire affair.

Abu Khalid al-Hindi who attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan was one Mohammed Sajid from Kasargod ISIS module, Kerala: Here is all you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Abu Khalid al-Hindi who attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan was one Mohammed Sajid from Kasargod ISIS module, Kerala: Here is all you need to know

Armed terrorists attacked a Gurudwara in Shor Bazar Area of Afghanistan on Wednesday. Twenty-eight people lost their lives in the dastardly attack. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, however, the possible role of the Tehreek-e-Taliban backed by Pakistan has not been ruled out. Earlier, it was reported the Islamic State communique claiming responsibility for the attack identified the terrorist as an Indian national ‘Abu Khalid al-Hindi’ who carried out the attack in order to avenge the supposed ‘plight of Muslims in Kashmir’. Meanwhile, Afghan and Western security agencies believe that the attack was ordered by Quetta Shura of the Taliban at the behest of Pakistani intelligence. As per a report by Hindustan Times, the operation was code-named Blackstar and the Haqqani Network led by Taliban’s deputy commander Sirajuddin Haqqani and elements of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba were used to carry out the attack. Now, it has emerged that ‘Abu Khalid al-Hindi’ who attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan was one Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal who had escaped from Kasargod, Kerala in 2015 to join ISIS, reported ANI.

Four years ago, Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal had escaped to join ISIS. Before he did, he was a shopkeeper in Kasargod, Kerala. He had joined ISIS along with 14 others from Kasargod itself. Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal was wanted by NIA in its 2016 Kasargod ISIS module case and had a red corner notice out against him.

The 2016 Kasargod IS module case relates to the criminal conspiracy hatched by terrorists from Kasaragod district of Kerala since Ramadan, 2015, with the intention of joining and furthering the objectives of ISIS. As part of the conspiracy, 14 accused from Kasaragod district had left India or their workplaces in Middle-East Asia between mid-May and early July 2016, before travelling to Afghanistan or Syria, where they joined the ISIS.

During the investigation by Kerala Police, the role of 29-year-old Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid, a resident of Batla House, Okhla Jamia Nagar, New Delhi but originally from Sitamarhi district of Bihar, as a co-conspirator of Abdul Rashid was revealed. She was arrested on August 1, 2016, after she was intercepted at Indira Gandhi International Airport while attempting to exit India for Afghanistan, along with her child. As per the Kerala police, Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid was actively aiding Abdul Rashid in his activities including raising funds to support ISIS. The case was handed over to the NIA after she was arrested.

Read: ISIS shifting base to Afghanistan, poses threat to South Asian countries including India: Iran Minister

The NIA investigation revealed that Abdul Rashid, Yasmeen and others from 2015 were involved in activities to further objectives of the ISIS in Kerala and other places of India. 15 people including Sajid had fled from Kerala, India to join the terror group in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.

The involvement of Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal was revealed by the NIA after he joined the ISIS. Sajid had left on March 31, 2015 for Dubai from the Mumbai airport. Others had all left on different dates. It was reported that all of them had gone to Iran before going off the radar.

The NIA chargesheet said, “Preliminary investigation in the above cases revealed that the missing persons left India and joined the IS in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The accused are continuing their anti-national activities by propagating the ideology of and inviting support for the IS, through various means including, but not limited to, Internet based social media platforms”.

The NIA website still has Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal as one of the most wanted terrorists.

NIA website lists terrorist who attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan as most wanted

Wilayat Khorasan of Islamic State in Afghanistan (ISIS-K), the group Mohammed Sajid is said to have joined, mainly comprises of terrorists from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Earlier in 2019, 900 terrorists, some of whom were family members of Indians who had joined ISIS, surrendered in the Eastern province of Nangarhar, where the Afghan national security forces were conducting operations against the ISIS. The operations started on the 12th of November 2019 against the terror outfit. 93 terrorists, that included several Pakistanis, had surrendered only hours after Afghanistan’s offensive against the terror outfit began on the 12th of November 2019.

Interestingly, it was reported that the Khorasan group of ISIS, or the ISIS-K, had attempted a suicide attack in India in 2018. This was claimed by a top US official. The ISIS-K operates in South Asia and according to Russel Travers, Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of Director of National Intelligence, ISIS-K concerns the US the most among all of its other branches.

“Of all of the branches and networks of ISIS, ISIS-K is certainly one of those of most concern, probably in the neighbourhood of 4,000 individuals or so,” Travers had said in response to a question from Maggie Hassan, the junior Senator from New Hampshire. “They have attempted to certainly inspire attacks outside of Afghanistan. They attempted last year to conduct a suicide attack in India. It failed,”  he had added.

Watch: Bhupesh Bagel’s father confronted by locals for carrying out political activities despite lockdown orders

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Bhupesh Bagel’s father confronted by locals for carrying out political activities despite lockdown orders

In a shocking act of wilful negligence, the father of Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Nand Kumar Baghel was reportedly caught indulging in political activity in Raipur amidst the nation-wide lockdown that has been enforced across the country to fight the Chinese epidemic COVID-19.

A video has gone viral on social media in which it was seen that Nand Kumar Baghel was being confronted by locals who are telling him that he should not be carrying out political activities amidst the coronavirus lockdown.

In the video, it can be seen that the locals of the area are schooling the Chief Minister’s father for assembling near the locality despite the coronavirus lockdown.

As people objected to Nand Kumar Bhagel’s meeting, an irritated Bhagel asked the locals to complain to the police if they had any problems with him indulging in such activities. However, the citizens not only schooled the older man regarding the need for social distancing but also forced the Congress leader’s father to move out of the locality. They are seen saying that just because he is the CM’s father, he should not defy lockdown orders because then lockdown won’t serve its purpose.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus, to continue working from isolation

OpIndia Staff
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United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus, to continue working from isolation

The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed that he has tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. The Prime Minister is in self-isolation in Downing street after being tested for the disease. He had begun showing “mild” symptoms yesterday, he revealed.

Downing Street in a statement said: “He was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty,” a statement said.

He will still be in charge of the government’s handling of the crisis, the statement added.

The Prime Minister has taken to Twitter to inform the same. He also gave a message to his citizens advising them to stay home and fight the deadly disease. “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives”, Tweeted the UK Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson also informed that he will continue in the post of prime minister although he will be in isolation till he recovers from the disease. He said that now technology allows people to work from home and he will continue to lead the government’s response to the pandemic via video-conferencing.

Boris Johnson in a press conference held on March 4 had said that he had visited a hospital where there were a few coronavirus patients and he shook hands with everybody. After the press conference, people on social media started calling out the Conservative leader for being irresponsible and being a danger to public safety. 

Though his statement then, the PM probably intended to make people aware of the importance of washing hands between the Coronavirus outbreak, his admission was not received well by the people. He was criticised on social media for being irresponsible and being a danger to public safety after he admitted that he intentionally shook hands with Coronavirus-affected patients during his visit to a hospital.

Meanwhile, on March 25, it was reported that Britains Prince Charles, the next-in-line to the British throne, had tested positive for coronavirus. Reports in British media have stated that the 71-year-old Prince of Wales has ‘mild symptoms’ but is in otherwise good health.

Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, had been tested negative. As per reports, Prince Charles had decided to move to Birkhall, Scotland and ‘work from home’.

The UK, like many western nations, has also seen many cases of the COVID-19. The death toll has reached 578 as 11,658 confirmed cases have been reported. Over 82,000 people have already been tested for the disease.

Kasargod: Health officials on Coronavirus awareness drive get attacked by a violent mob, policemen who tried to rescue them injured

OpIndia Staff
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Kasargod: Health officials on Coronavirus awareness drive get attacked by a violent mob, policemen who tried to rescue them injured

Four policemen were admitted to a local hospital in Kasargod district of Kerala after suffering injuries at the hand of a violent mob in the Kalladukku colony. The police personnel had gone to rescue a team of health department officials trying to conduct an awareness programme in the colony.

As per a report in Swarajya, the health department staffers who were organizing a coronavirus awareness campaign were barred by the locals when they tried to enter the Kalladukku colony near Delampady. Afterwards, a team of policemen were sent to the colony by the collector’s order to rescue those health officials. However, the mob did not spare the policemen too.

The policemen including a sub-inspector have been admitted to a local hospital while two accused have been detained in the connection of the incident.

The incident has occurred when Kasargod District officials trying their best to spread awareness among locals to attain hygienic behaviour while Kerala is the worst-hit state by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. Ameer B, a Kasargod resident who reportedly returned from Gulf earlier this month and tested positive for COVID-19, had fled quarantine and had visited several places in the district.

Ameer B, who is allegedly a gold smuggler is alleged by the District authorities to have met at least 3,000 people keeping them at risk. He also attended two weddings, a Child-naming ceremony, a funeral, and a football match.

48 people from the Kasargod district of Kerala have been tested positive of COVID-19, almost one-third of the 137 cases in the State.

The State of Kerala tops the nation in coronavirus reported cases with 137 COVID-19 patients under isolation. The Northern districts of Kerala- Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Malappuram account for a total of 87 cases in the state.

15 lakh people arrived in India in 2 months but there is gap in actual monitoring for Coronavirus: Cabinet Secretary tells state govts

OpIndia Staff
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15 lakh people arrived in India in 2 months but there is gap in actual monitoring for Coronavirus: Cabinet Secretary tells state govts

As the number of coronavirus cases in the country continues to rise, the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has told the state governments that 15 lakh international travellers came to India over the last two month but there appears to be a discrepancy between the actual monitoring for COVID-19 and the total arrivals.

Gauba wrote a letter to all the state governments highlighting the discrepancy in the numbers of those being observed for COVID-19 and the number of international travellers who came to India between the period of January 18 to March 23. He also added that a list of arrivals compiled by the Bureau of Immigration was already shared with the States and Union Territories.

Gauba cautioned the state heads that such a gap in the monitoring of international passengers may seriously jeopardise the efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, given that a large number of those who have tested positive for the virus so far in India had a history of international travel. Other patients also contracted the infection after coming into close contact with such persons.

Read- Caravan editor spreads fake news, claims Coronavirus tests are not free in India

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in India, Prime Minister Modi swiftly reacted and imposed sweeping restrictions to keep India from descending into a disaster that could potentially dwarf the catastrophe endured by China, Italy, Spain, and the United States. He had called upon a total lockdown of the country for 21 days till April 15 to curtail the spread of the contagion and prevent it from overburdening the country’s public health system. India has so far registered about 700 positive coronavirus cases with 17 fatalities. But the number could surge as the country may enter the crucial third stage of the coronavirus outbreak which is normally characterised by the community and large-scale transmission. In the view of such a scenario, an all-encompassing lockdown except for essential services such as healthcare, banking and grocery stores for daily needs was ordered by the Indian PM on March 24, 2020.

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