Lockdown has prevented nearly 30 lakh infections:Centre

As fresh cases of COVID-19 touch a new high of 6,088, the Centre claims that the nationwide lockdown help prevent 14-29 lakh cases and over 70,000 deaths. This is based on modelling projections by various independent agencies and individuals.

The total number of cases in India is now 1,18,447, and the disease has killed 3,583 people so far.

Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog said that the lockdown decision “by the Prime Minister was early and timely”, and “the way the country effectively implemented it, is an international example”.

He also said that the gains of lockdowns 1 and 2 are visible now. “India’s lockdown was part and parcel of overall strategy starting with travel restrictions, social distancing and mobilising people and state governments. We decided to shut down to stop the chain of transmission to the extent possible”.

Growth rate of new cases till April 3 was increasing at the rate of 22.6%, behaviour of the virus was exponential. After April 4 there is clear slowing of the growth and then it settled at 5.5%. This shows that the country stopped the progression of the virus… Overall we averted between 14-29 lakh cases and 37,000-71,000 deaths. – Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog

The lockdown has made it difficult for the virus to travel, Dr Paul said. But he also emphasised that the lockdown could not go on forever.