India extends lockdown to 3rd May as cases cross 10,000

With India’s death toll rising, 10 states have extended lockdown up to April 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3 during in his address to the nation on Tuesday. While he thanked countrymen for battling difficulties during the Covid-19 lockdown, he said states will now be strictly monitored till April 20 and only those successful in containing hotspots will be allowed to resume some key economic activities. While an extension of lockdown was expected in India, many industries were expecting an immediate resumption of economic activity. However, it will now depend on whether states succeed in limiting hotspots. Meanwhile, the global picture remains gloomy as the number of Covid-19 cases nears 2 million with over 1.2 lakh deaths.