The Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday advised the state governments to allow only essential services in the 75 districts where the cases of deadly coronavirus were found positive.

The State Government may expand the list depending on their assessment of the situation. The government has also announced the suspension of all passenger trains, metro, inter-state passenger transport will March 31, as a measure to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

“State governments can assess and lockdown any district where there are chances of spread of the disease,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Ministry of Health said.

The nation is already witnessing a one-day unofficial lockdown due to the novel coronavirus.

Gujarat has announced a lockdown for four cities – Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara, until Wednesday due to the novel coronavirus. Only shops selling vegetables, medicines and dairy products will be allowed.

Prominent places of the country such as Delhi’s Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar, Mumbai’s Marine Drive and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station and Kolkata’s New Market areas bear deserted look to support the ‘Janta Curfew’.

Earlier in the day, Indian Railways in a statement told, “All passenger train services including Premium trains, Mail/Express trains, Passenger trains, Suburban trains, Kolkata Metro trains, Konkan Railways etc shall be cancelled till the 2400hrs of March 31, 2020.”

However, a bare minimum level of services of suburban trains and Kolkata Metro Rail shall continue up to 2400hrs of March 22, 2020, it added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on Thursday announced Janta Curfew – a preventive measure to tackle the deadly virus that has taken the entire planet in its grip.

In support of the initiative, the country has witnessed a total lockdown with malls, cinema halls, national monuments, and other public places already declared shut in the country.

As of now, there are 12 passengers who travelled in trains on March 13 and 16 have been tested COVID-19 positive.

Yesterday, a couple was pulled off from Delhi-Bengaluru Rajdhani Express train after co-passengers noticed the home quarantined seal on the man’s hand.