New Delhi: After four consecutive days of high number of infections - between 70 and 80 - 43 new cases have been registered in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said today. Even yesterday, 73 new cases were detected, which took the total to 606. Today, with the 43 new cases, the total stands at 649. Four more persons have died, taking the total to 13.

The government has announced a countrywide 21-day lockdown.
"We have observed that the rate of growth of cases has decreased, but in no way are we being relaxed about anything at this point," Lav Agarwal, senior Health Ministry official, told the media today. 

Calling it a "stable or slow growth", the official said, "People quarantined must be monitored... We need to make people aware about social distancing and must be reassured that there will be no shortage of essential commodities, so they stop crowding shops".
Two days ago, the government had announced a 21-day countrywide "curfew-like" lockdown that came with penal provisions for violation under the National Disaster Management Act. Read More