India's lockdown measures will continue until May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday.
Mr Modi said there would be tougher measures in place for the next week until April 20 to control any emerging hotspots across all states and districts.
"Until May 3, every Indian will have to stay in lockdown. I request all Indians that we stop the coronavirus from spreading to other areas," Mr Modi told the nation in a televised address.
Addressing criticism against the administration’s handling of the hundreds of thousands of daily wage labourers, he said that detailed measures would be announced by Wednesday to alleviate the difficulties they faced.
Mr Modi also called on people to unite to reduce the cases in their community by following the regulations already in place for the lockdown and social distancing.
India extends lockdown
He assured that a “graded relaxation” would be permitted after a week in areas that were able to control cases of coronavirus, but warned that if the number of cases increased, stringent measures would be put in place immediately.
He said India was currently in a “stable position” because of the 21-day lockdown and social distancing actions taken before the situation deteriorated.
"The nation has benefited greatly from social distancing and lockdown," he said.
"If we only look at it from the economic standpoint it looks expensive – we’ve had to pay a huge cost, but before the lives of Indians this has no comparison."
Mr Modi spelled out seven steps including taking care of the elderly, the poor, employees and wearing masks, respecting healthcare workers and the police to aid the administration in its fight to control the coronavirus.
It came as cases of the virus surpassed 10,000 with 358 deaths, despite a three week lockdown imposed last month.
Describing the next week as a “trial by fire,” he said tougher measures and close monitoring would be put in place.
He warned that states with large numbers of cases would be closely monitored as a rise in the number of patients would pose a challenge to work being done to contain the spread in other parts of the country.
Permission would be granted for limited relaxation of some rules in neighbourhoods that had managed to control the virus.
“If the number of patients increases by one person this should be a cause of worry for all of us,” he said in a nationally telecast 22-minute speech.
“If even one person dies because of coronavirus we must all be concerned.”
Mr Modi spoke about deploying the combined strength of the people of India as the nation attempted to control the spread of the disease.
“A month ago, India was in the same position as many developed countries that have more resources than us but sadly, thousands of people have died in those nations,” he said.
“What would have been India’s condition if we had not taken on a holistic and integrated approach? Thinking of this gives me goosebumps.”
The decision to extend the lockdown nationwide was taken after intensive discussions with state governments, he said.
About 11 local administrations have already announced an extension until the month-end including Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The speech did not address requests by citizens stranded overseas to allow repatriation of flights or lift the current shutdown to permit international flights, but Mr Modi said detailed guidelines would later be issued by the government.
He said the global experience was that when the number of cases goes beyond 10,0000, at least 15,000 to 16,000 hospital beds were required.
“We have more than 100,0000 beds and 600 hospitals alone for Covid,” Mr Modi said.
He encouraged young scientists and researchers to take up the challenge and said he had “full faith” in their abilities to develop a vaccine.
Mr Modi called on Indians to work alongside with authorities during the continuation of the lockdown.
“I need your help and ask you to continue to follow the lockdown rules so we can continue the fight against corona and win the battle against the coronavirus,” he said.
