ICMR chief pitches for Covid lockdown for 6-8 weeks: report

Dr. Balram Bhargava, head of the Indian Council of Medical Research, has told the Reuters that districts reporting a high number of infections should remain locked down for another six to eight weeks to control the spread of the rampaging disease.

He told the news agency that lockdown should remain in place in all districts where the rate of infection is above 10% of those tested.

Of 718 districts, three-fourth have a test-positivity rate above 10%, including major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Bhargava's comments are the first time a senior government official has outlined how long lockdowns, which already encompass large parts of country, need to continue to rein in the crisis in India.

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