India: Authorities Decree a Total Confinement of 21 Days

Shortly after midnight Tuesday, India's Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the start of a 21-day "total containment" to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among a population of 1.3 billion people. His announcement raised concern among people who have been started stocking up on groceries in supermarkets.

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Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal explained that essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, e-commerce, banks, and ATMs will continue to function normally.

On Wednesday morning, however, in many Jangpura neighborhoods, most grocery stores were closed, although days before they had remained open.

To dispel the population's uncertainties, Kejriwal indicated that "merchants, milk or water sellers, such as the press or health personnel have identification cards" and will be able to go out and carry out their tasks.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu state government indicated that it will facilitate all e-commerce companies are allowed to deliver essential items home if they strictly follow "contactless delivery" protocols.

"We are working with national and local authorities requesting that they urgently help us with detailed procedures to operate in the field, to guarantee the delivery of priority products... safely without any interruption," the Amazon spokesman in India Krishnaswami Balaji said.

As of Wednesday morning, India’s Health Minister has reported 606 Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths. In the last 24 hours, 70 new cases were confirmed.