søndag 12. april 2020

Coronavirus: India to extend nationwide lockdown, state minister says

India will extend a strict nationwide lockdown imposed last month to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a top official says. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with state ministers, and many of them urged the government to prolong the measure. Delhi's chief minister said Mr Modi had agreed to extend the lockdown, due to end on Tuesday, without giving details. It comes amid concerns about how the lockdown has hit the country's poorest.

The spread of the virus has been varied in India with some states seeing bigger jumps in cases, despite the shutdown. Millions of migrant workers have been left jobless with the poorest suffering most.India has confirmed about 8,000 infections and 288 deaths, according to a tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the disease globally. The true figures, however, are thought to be far higher.