Lockdown extended for two weeks from May 4

New Delhi, May 1: When the entire country was looking for relaxation in lockdown ending May 3, the government has further extended the lockdown for a couple of weeks till May 17.

The government has divided the districts in the country into three zones viz. Red, Orange, and Green as per the intensity of COVID-19 spread and number of cases. There are some 130 districts all overt he country that is included in the Red zone while 284 districts are in Orange and 319 in Green zone.

The MHA has issued specific guidelines regarding extension of lockdown from May 4 for a period of two weeks. Accordingly, no relaxation will be given in Reed Zone districts while some relaxations will be given in Orange zone districts.

All restrictions in Green zones will be relaxed but for the restriction on carrying passengers in buses. They will have to accommodate only 25 passengers i.e. 50 percent of their carrying capacity. No bus will go from Green zone to Red Zone.

All social, political, and religious gatherings will remain suspended and all places of worship will remain closed during the lockdown period. Similarly, all schools, colleges, and other institutions, malls, cinema halls and hotels, and hospitality centers will remain closed.

In Red zones, e-commerce is allowed for essential commodities only. Movement of people for the non-essential activity will also be prohibited.

The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 35,365 with the addition of 1913 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours. The number of deaths was recorded at 1152 on Friday as per the Union Health Ministry sources. Maharashtra continues to top the states in the country in respect of COVID-19 infections (10,500), followed by Gujarat (4395) and Delhi (3515).