Govt. mulls lockdown extension amid requests from the States

Many States have appealed for its continuation in the face of rise in COVID cases

08/04/2020, NISTULA HEBBAR , VIJAITA SINGH,NEW DELHI

The Union government on Tuesday indicated that it was actively considering an extension of the 21-day nationwide lockdown that began on March 25 and is due to end on April 14, as many States have openly appealed for its continuation as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

While Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhara Rao had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the lockdown on Monday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday echoed the plea.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also called for a phased withdrawal of the lockdown, saying that saving lives was important.

In an interview to The Hindu, Chhattisgarh Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo said, “I feel people have got used to the lockdown. We should take advantage of that and deal conservatively with the question of lifting the lockdown. Certainly, borders of States should remain closed although activities within districts are on to some extent. A conservative estimate and looking at the expected spike in cases, we must go for another 14 days of lockdown at least.”

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is understood to have conveyed to the Prime Minister during a videoconference last week that the lockdown should not be lifted all of a sudden and that it should be done in three to four phases. “There should be a partial lifting in a graded and calibrated manner. Allow farmers to harvest their crops but keep schools and colleges closed. Allow scooters and two-wheelers to ply first,” a senior Punjab government official said.