Lockdown extended till May 3; PM Modi issues 7-point appeal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3In a televised message to the nation the prime minsiter said that the main focus will be on the hotspots and the government will impose stricter measures to fight covid19 outbreak The PM said Till 20th April all districts localities states will be closely monitored as to how strictly they are implementing norms States which will not let hotspots increase they could be allowed to let some important activities resume but with certain conditionsHe thanked and paid a debt to gratitude to the citizens for fighting a courageous battle against COVID19 despite facing their own personal challenges He praised everyone and said that everyone is well aware of the situation and has fulfilled their responsibilityPrime Minister began his address to the nation bysayingIndia is doing well to tackle the coronavirus outbreak He thanks people on the frontline of the COVID19 battle Our fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic is progressing with strength he saidPrime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech invoked Dr BR Ambedkar and acknowledged the courage shown by the people of India during the COVID19 lockdown In our constitution We the People is written and the power of We The People Of India has been seen in the country during the lockdown This is the best respect we can pay to Dr BR Ambedkar on his anniversary he saidHe also said that rules would be stricter in order to curb the spread of novel CoronavirusTill April 20 each district each state will be monitored closely to see whether the lockdown is being followed Then we can decide on relaxing the restrictions said the Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that whatever relaxations granted during the lockdown to some areas will be upon conditions and even if one such case is reported the relaxations will be taken backTalking about daily wage workers PM Modi said that the new guidelines will be made keeping their interests in mind Rabi crops cutting is on and the measures will be taken to reduce their problemsHe asked for the unity and support of India on seven issues where he spoke about taking care of elders in the family supporting the healthcare workers among others He issued a sevenpoint appeal to the citizens and asked forTake proper care of the senior citizens of your house especially those with underlying problemsLockdown and social distancing should be properly followed Homemade face covers and masks should be usedIncrease your immunity by following directions given by Ayush MinistryTo help curb coronavirus spread download the Aarogya Setu applicationWherever possible help poor familiesIn your businesses help your coworkers including those working under you dont downsize peopleRespect the Coronavirus soldiers doctors nurses sanitation workers and other essential service workersHe added that India did not wait for the problem to increase but it foresaw the problem and made an attempt to control it Modi added that compared to other nations India is at a better positionHe ended the address by asking people to be very vigilant and wished everyone good healthIt was Narendra Modis fourth televised address to the nation in less than a monthLast month the Prime Minister had addressed the nation twice ndash on March 19 and March 24 On March 19 he had called for resolve and restraint to fight Coronavirus He had also announced a janta curfew on March 22 a Sunday On March 24 he had announced the 21day nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the deadly virus In a video message on April 3 Modi had urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the countrys collective resolve to defeat the CoronavirusOn Monday the number of COVID19 cases rose by 1253 to 10444 cases Nearly 10 states including Maharashtra Odisha West Bengal Telangana Punjab had already announced an extension of the lockdown until April 30Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news