Women queuing outside Paharganj bank dispersed for not maintaining social distancing

Several women standing in a queue outside a bank in Paharganj here on Wednesday morning were dispersed by police personnel after they refused to maintain social distancing, an official said.

The women lined up later, keeping adequate distance between them, after the police assured them that banks and ATMs will remain open during the 21-day lockdown across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the highly contagious virus.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, 562 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported across the country, including 31 from the national capital.