Over three lakh people are in home quarantine or at isolation centres across the country, sources in the Union home ministry said on Tuesday, as the 21-day lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced last month was extended till May 3.

“The 21-day lockdown has helped the Centre and state governments to a great extent in identifying containment zones across the country and the lockdown extension will help the authorities to zero in on more such clusters,” a senior ministry official told The Telegraph.

“According to data available with the home ministry’s control room, over three lakh people are in home quarantine and at facilities across the country.”

The total number of coronavirus cases in India surged past 10,000 on Tuesday, while the death toll stood at 353.

The official said the ministry’s 24x7 helpline was co-ordinating with control rooms set up by each state government to keep a tab on the ground situation in the battle against the pandemic. “The Centre has been in regular touch with state governments and has communicated that social distancing is possibly the only way to prevent people from contracting the deadly virus.”

According to figures available with the ministry till Monday, Maharashtra has over 65,000 people in quarantine, followed by Uttarakhand (a little over 55,000), Rajasthan (35,000) and Uttar Pradesh (31,000). All these people are either in home quarantine or at facilities set up by the state governments.

Gujarat has around 14,000 people in quarantine and Bihar nearly 12,000. India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has over 100 containment zones and had last week sealed off its virus hotspots — shutting down affected areas in 15 districts in a bid to prevent community transmission of the virus.

An IPS officer posted at the Union home ministry said the Kerala government has done exemplary work in flattening the curve. “In Kerala, so far, 370 people have tested positive and 180 have been cured and discharged. Nearly 800 are under observation,” he said.

Sources said nearly half the 730 districts in the country had been affected by the virus.

“Districts with reported positive cases will be isolated and movement strictly prohibited. District magistrates have been asked to strictly monitor the containment measures. Relaxations will be granted in a phased manner in districts with no Covid-19 cases,” an official said.

He said the ministry, in consultation with state governments, was preparing a blueprint to allow from next week phased relaxations in sectors like agriculture and the fishing industry in unaffected districts.

Considering the harvest season, he added, transport of labourers could also be facilitated.

Officials said restrictions could be eased for construction work too in unaffected areas where local labour is available. “The district magistrates in unaffected districts have been asked to submit a report to ensure relaxation in unaffected areas,” the official said.