There won’t be lockdown extension in India: PM Narendra Modi clarifies

Amid rising speculation that lockdown might be imposed once again across the country, given the increase in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that the Centre currently holds no plans of lockdown extension in India. Responding to a query made by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in this aspect, the PM said that the country is currently in the unlock phase.

Speaking at the meeting held with Chief Ministers of several states, on Wednesday, PM Modi said that the state governments must prepare to implement unlock 2.0. “There is a rumour going around that lockdown may be once again imposed in the country. When it is known that the PM is talking to the CMs via video conference, people are speculating that there will be a lockdown imposition announcement. I have been telling people that the PM will not take lockdown decision without talking to all the CMs. Please give clarity on this issue,” Telangana CM KCR said.

“There will not be any lockdown in the country. The four phases of lockdown are over. Unlock 1.0 is going on now. We all should discuss what to do about the unlock 2.0 issue,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying in a release by the Telangana CMO. Apart from clearing the air surrounding the lockdown extension in India, the PM also told the Chief Ministers that focus should be laid on increasing the testing capacity and expanding the health infrastructure.

The two-month lockdown in India, which came into effect on 25 March this year, was among the biggest containment strategies implemented across the globe. With the fourth phase of lockdown coming to an end on 31 May, the Central Government, as part of its unlock strategy, lifted several restrictions, starting from 8 June. Planned to be implemented in three phases, this strategy to restore normalcy in areas outside the containment zones.