Half Of India's 718 Districts Affected By COVID-19 Pandemic, Shows Data

Number of coronavirus cases doubled in India in a week's time.

Nearly three weeks into a "total lockdown", half of India's 718 districts are affected by the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 16 lakh people worldwide and killed over 1 lakh. The highly contagious illness spread to more than 120 new districts in a span of 10 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data accessed by NDTV.

The rapid spread of the virus is evident in the spurt in cases across the country which doubled in a week's time. From nearly 3,500 patients last Sunday, India has recorded 8,356 cases so far, according to the government data released this morning.

On March 29, while 160 districts were affected by the pandemic, the number rose to 284 on April 6. More than 364 districts are currently affected by the pandemic.

Uttar Pradesh, one of country's most populous states, has the highest number of districts affected (40) followed by Tamil Nadu (33). In Maharashtra, which has recorded the highest number of patients in India, 27 districts are affected, while in Delhi, with over 1,000 COVID-19 patients, 11 districts are affected. This data was shared on Friday.

As the nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, ends on Tuesday, the government is planning to mark the country's map in three colours - red, orange and green, sources have said. This will help in distinguishing the areas affected by the outbreak and virus-free zones.

Green zones will be districts where there is no COVID-19 case. Orange zones will be places which saw less than 15 cases and there have been no increase in the number of positive cases. Any place which had more than 15 cases will be considered a Red zone, where there will be no activity.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated that the shutdown will be extended by two weeks after a meeting with at least 13 chief ministers.