First Day of Nationwide Lockdown: Census-NPR Postponed; Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Cross 600-mark

As India woke up on Wednesday to a 21-day lockdown, governments – both, central and state – assured people of enough stock, as panic struck many, among the 1.3 billion across the country, who rushed, formed long queues outside grocery and essential stores.
Amid this, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement postponing the first phase of Census 2021 and the exercise of updating the National Population Register (NPR), keeping in view the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Both were scheduled to be carried out by April 1.
Fresh cases of coronavirus infection were reported taking the cumulative figure of those who had tested positive to 606 in the country, according to Union Health Ministry. Kerala confirmed nine new cases, taking the state total of COVID-19 cases to 118; while Delhi reported five positive cases of the virus on Wednesday, taking the total in the national capital to 35.
With both Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh reporting first death due to the viral infection in respective states, India’s death tally has reached 12.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi largely remained mum in his Tuesday speech on how government plans to deal with the economic challenges that lies ahead, demands for a package poured in from various sections for a package to meet the calamity.