Coronavirus: Metro services in various cities as well as the interstate buses will be suspended till March 31.
New Delhi, March 22:
The country is set to grind to a halt shortly as railway, metro and interstate bus services will be stopped to break the march of coronavirus, which infected close to 350 people and killed six persons in India. The railways, which had cancelled more than 1000 trains, said it will shut passenger train services till March 31. Interstate buses and metro services would follow the same schedule. Several states, including Punjab and Rajasthan, have announced a complete lockdown that involves shutting down public transport, malls and shops. Only essential services will operate in 75 districts which saw confirmed cases of COVID-19, the government has said.
Here Are 10 Points On Coronavirus Shutdown:
At a meeting this morning, the railway board decided to stop the passenger train services till March 31.
Metro services in various cities as well as the interstate buses would follow suit. The suburban trains will run till tonight.
The railways said the passenger trains that are already on way will be allowed to reach their destination and adequate arrangements will be made for passengers.
“To ensure supply of essential items in various parts of the country, the movement of goods trains would continue,’ a communique from the railways said.
International flights have already been banned for a week and many airlines have talked about reducing flights.
The government move came following a review meeting of the situation involving top officials of the Centre and the state.
A communique released after the meeting read, “It was agreed that there was an urgent need to extend the restrictions on the movement of non-essential passenger transport.
So far, 12 passengers who travelled in trains on March 13 and 16 have been found to be COVID-positive. On Saturday, a couple was pulled off a Delhi-bound Rajdhani train after co-passengers noticed a home quarantine seal on the man’s hand.
Gujarat has announced a lockdown for four cities, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara, until Wednesday. Only shops selling essentials like vegetables, dairy products, and medical items will remain open.
Many states suspended bus operations to prevent daily wage earners moving from cities to villages. Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Many of my brothers and sisters are leaving the city where they earn a living and returning to their villages. Travelling in a crowd increases the risk of COVID19 infection. Wherever you’re going, it’ll pose danger to people there too. It will increase difficulties for them.”
Courtesy: NDTV
