Coronavirus: India Adds Three More Weeks To Its Lockdown

On Tuesday, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the extension of the country's nation wide lockdown until the 3rd of May.

India's lockdown is the world's biggest lockdown, as it affects a large population of over 1.3 billion people.

The lockdown was initiated in the face of cries from the poor masses who have little to go by during the lockdown period, as most businesses have closed up shop as directed by the government in a bid to curb the spread of the virus in the country.

He said, “From the economic angle, we have paid a big price, but the lives of the people of India are far more valuable.”

“From the experiences of the last few days, it is clear that the path we have chosen is correct.”

The prime minister added that there would be some “limited relaxations” starting from 20 April for parts of the country that have no coronavirus cases.

South Asia has reported a mild number of coronavirus cases, as the region has a record of 10,000 cases, with India's death toll standing at 339.

Although, medical experts say that the official figure may be less than the actual figure, as India has not carried out a comprehensive test to ascertain the real number of cases in the country.

WHO regional director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said in a statement that “despite huge and multiple challenges, India has been displaying unwavering commitment in its fight against the pandemic."