NEW DELHI: All inter-state buses, passenger trains and metro services have been suspended across the country till March 31 while 75 districts where coronavirus cases were reported completely locked down as authorities undertook extraordinary measures to check the spread of the disease. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting of chief secretaries of all states and the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary to the prime minister, officials said on Sunday. The districts where lockdown was announced are from states that include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. State governments will issue orders allowing only essential services to operate in these 75 districts with confirmed COVID-19 cases or casualties, a Union Home Ministry official said. The officials stressed that these steps were vital to end the chain of transmission. It was agreed that there was an urgent need to extend the restrictions on the movement of non-essential passenger transport, including interstate transport buses, till March 31 to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19, they said. It was noted that several state governments have already issued orders in this regard. All the chief secretaries informed that there was overwhelming and spontaneous response to the call for ‘Janta curfew’ given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state governments may expand the list depending on their assessment of the situation. In the meeting, it was decided to suspend all train services till March 31, including sub-urban rail services. However, goods trains are exempted. All metro rail services were also suspended till March 31, the officials said. —PTI

Press Trust of India