The decision by the Seattle-based Amazon’s India section announces a similar step to stop shipping unnecessary items to shoppers in Italy and France; nations hit hard by the virus spread.

On Tuesday, Amazon.com Inc’s said, India will stop orders for non-essential products in India in order to prioritize customers’ needs when the whole nation is under lockdown to forestall the spread of coronavirus.

Amazon India will organize and prioritize the sale and delivery of household items, medicinal services, personal hygiene, packaged food, the company stated in a blog post.

The company explained that it saw a surge in demand for essential goods. The company advised customers to cancel undelivered orders for not so essential products and receive refunds.

519 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported across India and 10 deaths. For precautionary measures, PM Modi on Tuesday evening announced a total lockdown for 21 days, requesting people to stay indoors.

Panic buying started immediately after the complete lockdown was announced, and the news also disturbed deliveries and e-commerce services.

To help Indians’ access to household supplies, the state governments have permitted online services to operate, especially concerning essential items.

The Indian Government will announce further measures if required and will support and help the public to fight the spread of covid-19.

Article Credit: The Reuters/NDTV