Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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India Extends World's Largest Lockdown till May 3rd

Anjana Pasricha

   NEW DELHI - India extended a nationwide lockdown until May 3rdas the
   number of coronavirus cases in the country continued to surge but held
   out the possibility of easing restrictions in some places next week to
   help millions of daily wage workers.

   In a televised address to the nation on what was to be the last day of
   a three-week lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on people to
   stay at home for another 19 days.

   "India's early action prevented the situation from worsening. The path
   we have chosen is the right one," Modi said on Tuesday. "It is my
   request and prayer to all fellow citizens, that we must not let
   coronavirus spread to new areas at any cost."

   India's lockdown of 1.3 billion people, the world's largest and one of
   the most stringent, began when the number of infections was 550. They
   have now topped 10,000 and 339 people have died.

   Health officials point out that these numbers would have been much
   higher if the country had not shutdown virtually all activities.
   Worryingly however the virus is now spreading through densely packedlow
   incomeareas and slums and surfacing in new areas of the country. The
   country's two biggest cities, Mumbai and Delhi remain hotspots.

   The prime minister acknowledged that the country is paying a heavy
   price for the shutdown that has brought the economy to a standstill."It
   undoubtedly looks costly right now, but measured against the lives of
   Indian citizens, there is no comparison."

   Health experts welcomed the lockdown's extension. "This is absolutely
   the right step. It fits the bill and it will help flatten the curve,"
   virologist T. Jacob John told VOA.

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