Lockdown 3.0 starts today

Considerable relaxations are allowed; total number of cases reached 42,491, toll 1,391

India completed 40 days of lockdown on Sunday but the number of coronavirus cases refused to recede.

As India gears up for Lockdown 3.0 with some easing of curbs from Monday, Sunday saw the biggest spike in both cases

(2,487) and deaths (83). The total number of cases nationwide reached

42,491, including 1,391 dead. As of now, 29,321 are being treated, and 11,775 have been discharged, taking the recovery rate to

26.5 per cent.

Of the 83 who died on Sunday, 36 were from Maharashtra, 26 from Gujarat, 11 from Madhya Pradesh, three each from Rajasthan and Delhi, two from Telangana and one each from Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

Delhi too saw highest cases in a day, with 384 new patients, taking the total to 4,122, with 1,256 under treatment. Delhi’s total deaths are 64. So far,

1,256 have been cured: 89 were discharged in the last

24 hours.

The government said for the past three days, the doubling rate of the virus is 12 days. It was 11.7 seven days back. Officials said India crossed over 10 lakh

(10,46,450) tests on Sunday. With many healthcare, police and paramilitary people falling ill with

Covid-19, the home ministry has advised states to prepare a “second line of defence” to contain the virus’ spread.

Police chiefs have been asked to consider “work from home” options for those who are not deployed on the frontlines. With Lockdown 3.0 starting Monday, the Centre is keeping its fingers crossed with increased activities in states in a phased manner, including movement of people for non-essential activities in all zones, except containment areas, from 7 am and 7 pm; opening of private offices with 33 per cent staff; barber shops, spas and salons operating in green and orange zones and the sale of non-essentials by ecommerce firms in the green zones.

At present there are 130 hotspot districts, 284 nonhotspot districts and 319 non-infected districts. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said districts that are divided into green, orange and red zones would be gradually opened up. “Slowly and gradually economic activities would be opened up one by one,” he said.

At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, special ultraviolet disinfection tunnels for luggage and self check-in machines are being set up in preparation of passenger flight operations expected from May 18.

Passenger flights at IGI airport will initially start from Terminal 3 after the lockdown ends, a senior airport official said, adding that entry gates, self check-in machines and check-in bays will be allocated to airlines to avoid overcrowding by air travellers.

The airport will keep all food, beverage and retail shops open to avoid overcrowding at any one place.