Coronavirus: India Lockdown Extended for 2 More Weeks

The national coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended for another two weeks beyond 4 May.

New guidelines, outlined on Friday, update the country's red, green and orange zoning system.

Red zones are considered hotspots, while considerable relaxation is permitted in areas considered to be less dangerous.

India has been under lockdown measures since 24 March, with more than 35,000 cases confirmed nationally.

A new home ministry statement, outlining the extension until 18 May, said there had been "significant gains in the Covid-19 situation".

But Friday saw a record number of new cases added to the nation's official tally.

At least 1,100 people are known to have died from the virus in India, but many believe that the true number of infections and deaths is far higher than reported.

Areas will be marked as green areas because, according to the rules, they have had no confirmed cases within 21 days.

All of India's major metropolitan areas remain classified as red zones and will stay under strict lockdown measures.

All of the zone classifications have been described as "dynamic" and will be updated weekly, officials say.

India's lockdown is the largest of its kind in the world, impacting a population of 1.3 billion people.

All travel by air and rail will still be prohibited under the extension, and schools, restaurants, and places of worship will also remain nationally closed.

The sudden lockdown, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March, has left millions stranded across the country.

On Friday some migrant labourers began to travel back to their home states on specially organised train transport.

Source: BBC