Ravi Shankar Prasad urges people to avoid panic buying amid lockdown extension

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday appealed to the people to avoid panic buying during the extended lockdown period as there is enough food stock to suffice everyone. The Government has ensured that there is a continuous supply of all essential commodities under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added. 

Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister also emphasised on the need to be alert and safe during the lockdown.

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India to enter the third phase of nationwide lockdown

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday has issued a notification extending the nationwide lockdown by two weeks from May 4.  The notification states the considerable relaxations in districts falling in green and orange zones allowed by MHA, will continue to remain in place. Currently, India has 35365 cases with 1152 deaths.

MHA guidelines on extended lockdown

MHA also reiterated that the activities like plying of cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, taxis and cab aggregators, intra-district and inter-district plying of buses and barber shops, spas and salons will remain prohibited in red zones outside containment zones. Moreover, irrespective of zones, travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road; running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/coaching institutions will remain prohibited. The Union Health Ministry has divided all districts across the nation as red (classified based on total active cases, doubling rate, extent of testing and surveillance), orange (those neither in green or red zones) and green zones (Zero cases for past 21 days).

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Coronavirus in India

As of date, around 26,000 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 9951 have been discharged. 1218 deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries.

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