In photos: Social distancing seen at Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi, at shops across country
Shopkeepers demarcated boundaries by drawing squares and circles in white paint around their shops.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a Cabinet meeting to discuss strategies of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic as people ushered in a 21-day countrywide lockdown that came into effect from midnight on Tuesday.
With social distancing – a term used to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people to prevent the spread of the virus – becoming the norm, senior ministers were seen seated at a distance from one another during the meeting.
Meanwhile, establishments selling essential commodities, such as groceries and milk, in the country adopted innovative ways of practicing social distancing on the first day of the lockdown. Shopkeepers demarcated boundaries by drawing squares and circles in white paint for people to wait. Each circle was spaced at a distance from the other and individuals were seen standing inside their mark.
India’s health ministry has confirmed 562 cases of the virus. Of these, 512 cases are active. Nine people have died due to the virus, according to the ministry’s latest update. However, the death of one more person in Tamil Nadu has not been confirmed yet, which will take the toll to 10.
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Here are some photos that show how people practicing social distancing:










People maintaining distance between each other in Puducherry.
In Puducherry Milk booth.
— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) March 25, 2020
Social distancing... pic.twitter.com/1nhoZZkyhS
Visuals from a store in Gujarat
कोई हाय-तौबा नहीं। कोई मारा-मारी नहीं। सामाजिक दूरी के नियम का सरलता से पालन। देश को राह दिखाता गुजरात के मूँदड़ा का यह स्टोर। #StayHome #21daylockdown #SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/WmK8zyJ1wB
— Akhilesh Sharma अखिलेश शर्मा (@akhileshsharma1) March 25, 2020
People in Lucknow practice social distancing as they queue up outside stores:
Lucknow: People in the city practice #socialdistancing at vegetable/fruit shops and pharmacies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation yesterday had appealed to people to maintain social distancing to combat #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/8fC2EvNcG3
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2020