Govt rejects article that claimed PM Modi extended lockdown without consulting COVID-19 task force
New Delhi/IBNS: The government has rejected a media report that claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had decided on the lockdown extension without consulting COVID-19 task force formed to deal with the pandemic.
The fact check Twitter handle of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) today posted that the claim made by the magazine that the PM did not consult the 21-member scientific COVID-19 task force before extending the lockdown is not based on facts and that all the decisions were taken only after consulting the task force.
Claim : Caravan magazine has claimed that PM @narendramodi did not consult the 21-member scientific #COVID taskforce before extending the lockdown
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 15, 2020
Reality : All decisions were taken after consulting the taskforce.
Read: https://t.co/VymHJz1AEB pic.twitter.com/1BIwa3YcCr
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also said the magazine made false claims and the task force met several times in the past one month and all the decisions by the government were taken in consultation with the task force.
There is a media report which makes false claims about the COVID-19 Task Force. The fact is that the task force met 14 times in the last month and all decisions taken involve the members of the task force. Please avoid such conjectures. #COVID2019india #IndiaFightsCorona
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) April 15, 2020
As coronavirus cases continue to be reported across the country, the Indian government extended the lockdown to combat COVID-19 outbreak till May 3. The announcement of 19 more days of lockdown was made by PM Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on Tuesday morning.
"We will now increase the lockdown till May 3," Modi said.
He asked the people to be cautious.
"We have to be much more cautious now. We have to keep watch on possible hotspots. New hotspots will give us more challenges and create problems. Till next week, the stringency will be increased.
"Till April 20 we will keep constant watch on every district, police station area," he said.
On Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry issued revised guidelines to be followed in the country till May 3 as the nation entered its second phase of the lockdown to combat COVID-19.
According to the guidelines, travel by air, rail and road, operation of educational and training institutions, industrial and commercial activities, hospitality services, cinema halls and shopping complexes will remain closed during the period.
The government statement said all social, political and other events and opening of all religious places will also remain shut.
As per the guidelines, the government has made the use of homemade face covers at workplace and public places mandatory.
The death toll due to COVID-19 in India now stands at 377, while 1,305 people have been cured or discharged and 9,756 cases are active as per latest Ministry of Health data revealed on Wednesday.
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