India to see nationwide lockdown again due to Covid-19? Govt says no

Is India set to face another countrywide lockdown in the face of surging Covid-19 cases? Is the government mulling the idea of complete lockdown to bring the disease outbreak under control?

The government has denied these claims made in a report and called it fake.

"A report by Lokmat claims that the government is likely to announce a nationwide lockdown all across the country to curb the spread of #COVID19. #PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake," a tweet by the Press Information Bureau on Sunday confirmed.

The report which stated that "In an unprecedented measure, the Narendra Modi led government is likely to announce a nationwide lockdown all across the country to curb the spread of Covid-19" has been denied by the government, ruling out the possibility of lockdown for now.

India on Monday registered another record rise in its daily cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as 273,810 fresh infections were reported across the country, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The nationwide tally has now reached 15,061,919.

The health ministry’s dashboard also showed at 8am also showed 1,619 more people succumbed to the viral disease, another daily record, taking the death toll to 178,769.

In the wake of rising cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a key meeting on Monday to review the coronavirus pandemic situation in the country. The meeting comes amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases across the country, with several chief ministers complaining of a shortage of essentials like oxygen supply and medicines like Remdesivir, and seeking the Centre's intervention.

In a review meeting held on April 17, Prime Minister Modi stressed there is no substitute for testing, tracking and treatment.