Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that lockdown in India will be extended till May 3 and urged citizens to keep following lockdown restrictions to contain the Covid-19 virus.
PM Modi also thanked citizens for adhering to lockdown rules in India and added that an extension of the lockdown is necessary to completely limit the spread of the virus and prevent new hotspots.
He also offered seven tips and urged citizens to follow them during the entire period of lockdown:
Take care of the elderly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested citizens to take care of elderly family members, especially those who are ill or suffering from any disease. While cases have been found in most age groups, experts said elderly people are at more risk from Covid-19 infections.
Follow social distancing
Another point PM Modi asked citizens to focus on was to maintain social distancing norms strictly during the lockdown. He said citizens who need to go out of their homes should ensure social distancing and wearing masks.
Follow Ayush advisories, increase immunity
PM Modi advised citizens to follow advisories on how to increase immunity, stay fit and more on Ministry of Ayush’s website as it will help people in tackling Covid-19. The Ministry of Ayush has announced on Twitter that it has announced online courses on dietetics, nutrition and immunity through Ayurveda.
Help the poor
The prime minister also called upon citizens to help the poor and needy who are facing severe financial problems due to the Covid-19 crisis. While PM Modi said the government is also supporting the poor through its schemes, he asked people to contribute whatever they can towards helping the poor during these tough times.
Be sensitive to employees
This was a larger appeal to corporates and businesses who have been forced to shut operations or limit them during the nationwide lockdown. In view of the layoffs happening across the industry, Prime Minister Modi requested employers across the nation to show compassion towards employees and not remove them from their jobs.
Pay respect to frontline workers
PM Modi urged citizens to show only respect to frontline Covid-19 workers in the country. His message comes after repeated incidents of misbehaviour and assault against health workers and doctors across the country.
Download Aarogya Setu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested citizens to download the Aarogya Setu application, which uses location data of individuals and helps in contact tracing. The government has been urging individuals to download the application as it would help it monitor the situation better.