30 states & UT’s under total lockdown; India stay home if you want to stay safe

March 23: Thirty states and Union territories in India covering 548 districts declared a lockdown by late evening on Monday as the country recorded its ninth death linked to the highly contagious coronavirus. Only Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Odisha are the ones that have announced partial lockdown of some areas. Lakshwadeep has only announced restrictions on some activities. Sikkim has not issued any order yet.

The states and UTs that are totally locked down are Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, Tripura, Goa, Nagaland, Manipur, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Daman & Diu & Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

India, which has 471 confirmed cases now, has seen its infections more than double in the past four days. Just on March 19, it had reported 169 cases. The country has also seen nine deaths–the most recent one in Himachal Pradesh. As the infections kept the upward trajectory, state governments decided to take extraordinary measures and extend restrictions.

India, which has 471 confirmed cases now, has seen its infections more than double in the past four days. Just on March 19, it had reported 169 cases. Of 471 COVID-19 positive cases, 41 are foreign nationals and nine persons died. The deaths were reported from Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bengal and Himachal Pradesh. The country has also seen nine deaths–the most recent one in Himachal Pradesh. According to data from the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 20,707 samples from 19,817 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today tweeted: “Many people are still not taking the lockdown seriously. Please save yourself, save your family, follow the instructions seriously. I request state governments to ensure legal action action against violators.” The state governments have been asked to take legal action against those found violating lockdown orders.

The Centre — which earlier shut down international flights, passenger trains and interstate buses — today banned domestic flights. Airlines have to plan operations so as to land at their destination before 11.59 pm on Tuesday, the government said. Only cargo flights will be allowed.