Modi drops hints about potential coronavirus lockout extension
Will the Modi Gouvernement extend the current coronavirus lockdown past April 14, or will it stick to the original end date?
The Prime Minister held a high-level video meeting with political leaders today on this subject. At the conference, he said that most of the recommendations he has made so far are for the continuation of the complete lockdown, or for the lockdown not to be lifted in one go, in order to tackle the spread of infection more effectively.
The PM held this meeting via videoconferencing with party leaders whose combined presence in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adds up to five members of Parliament.
According to highly-positioned sources, the government is still mulling through all possible options. The next meeting with Chief Ministers on the matter is scheduled for Saturday (April 11). This comes in the midst of raging rumours that the two-week extension (until the end of April) of the lockout is likely to be on the cards.
The government has also looked at the possibility of expanding the lockdown after a number of state governments and health experts have suggested such a course of action.
“A number of state governments, as well as experts, are asking the Center to prolong the lockout. The central government is moving in this direction, “said the top government sources yesterday.
Progress comes days after Modi urged states to find ways to “stagger” the exit.
The central government initially decided to shift towards a staggered (district-wise) lifting of the lockdown. However, some major states thought that such a strategy would be too difficult because the epidemic is hardly easing.
