Coronavirus lockdown relaxation: Workers gather outside jute mills in Barrackpore, West Bengal

Workers have gathered outside closed jute mills here even as the state government has allowed 15 per cent of the workforce for the resumption of operations in mills during lockdown from today.

One of the workers said, "Mills have not opened. We were called here by our contractor. We have not received any information from mills."

India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended on April 14 to stem the spread of coronavirus which has claimed over 500 lives in the country.

In his address to the nation on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 and also said that restriction will be relaxed in places where there is no hotspot after April 20 soon.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on April 15 released new lockdown-guidelines for the country listing select economic activities that will be allowed to function after April 20 only after the review of the COVID-19 situation in India.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 16,116 and the death toll climbed to 519, till 5 PM (IST) on Sunday. 

-ANI

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