30 States Under Total Lockdown As Coronavirus Cases Cross 470, Other Top Stories

As most of India went into shutdown in a mega effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 - complete lockdowns were announced in 30 states/ UTs and a total of 548 districts - Delhi prepared to step up measures to keep people at home. Delhi Police will be issuing "curfew passes" to facilitate inter-border movement of persons engaged in providing essential goods. Police issued an order to this effect late on Monday evening. As of now, persons from Delhi-based essential services organisations - both private and government - can move around in the city for work by showing their official identity cards.

The government on Monday said it was grounding all domestic flights from Wednesday to keep the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) from spreading, a signal that India was hunkering down - rail and road shutdowns already in place - for a long battle against the outbreak, which claimed its ninth victim during the day. Thirteen more states and Union territories, including Haryana, Gujarat, Assam and Manipur, announced a complete lockdown on Monday, taking the total number to 28. Some states that announced a partial lockdown on Sunday upgraded their response, ordering complete lockdowns and curfews, increasing the curbs on residents. Almost 75% of India's population is covered by the lockdowns.

The government Monday extended the shutdown to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to domestic commercial aviation, stopping all flights from Tuesday midnight till March 31. Thirty states and Union territories have now announced a complete lockdown in 548 districts, while in 58 districts of three states, the curbs are partial.

Thirty states and Union Territories, covering 548 districts out of a total 720 districts, went to complete went into complete lockdown as the country recorded two more deaths linked to coronavirus on Monday, taking the toll to nine