Uttarakhand put under lockdown

The Uttarakhand government imposed a lockdown till March 31 in the state on Sunday to contain the spread of the coronavirus, officials said.

However, essential supplies such as medicines, foodgrains, vegetables etc. were kept out of the ambit of the lockdown, they added.

The lockdown was imposed on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a countrywide "janta curfew" evoked a spontaneous response across the state with people staying at home and roads and marketplaces wearing a deserted look.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had thrown clear hints about harsher measures in the offing to check the spread of the coronavirus when in a thanksgiving message to the people of the state for the success of the "janta curfew" earlier in the day, he had asked them to remain prepared for even tougher times ahead.

However, he had said there will be no shortage of foodgrains or medicines.

"We can even deliver foodgrains and medicines at people's doorsteps if we have to impose a lockdown. The state government will soon take a decision about people who eke out a living from day to day. We will not let anyone go hungry," Rawat had said.

Uttarakhand has reported three coronavirus cases so far. All of them are Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers from the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute (FRI), who had recently returned from a study tour to Spain.