India’s poor hit hardest as coronavirus lockdown extended
Munawar Zaman
Press TV, New Delhi
As coronavirus pandemic grips the entire globe, in some parts of the world it is yet another misery for millions who live hand to mouth. While the majority of businesses in India have been ordered to close, millions of low-paid workers in the private sector are left jobless. These people now have to bear the consequences of a coronavirus lockdown and fight for survival.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the three-week-old lockdown until May 3rd. Modi acknowledged that the lockdown will have a heavy economic toll on the country, but he stressed that the restriction is necessary to save lives.
Based on official figures there has been more than 10,000 cases of infection and around 350 deaths in India. But there are fears that the number could skyrocket and overwhelm India’s ailing healthcare system.
According to the government, if the timely lockdown was not imposed, the number of coronavirus cases in the country would have risen to 820,000 by mid-April. Now the decision to relax restrictions depends on how the coming week unfolds.
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