Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced an extension of the ongoing lockdown till May 3. The national lockdown that was expected to end on April 14 has been extended by another three weeks.
Maharashtra had extended the ongoing lockdown to April 30, 2020. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made the announcement, following states such as Odisha and Punjab, who have already announced an extension a few days ago.
On April 11, the prime minister met chief ministers of states, following which PIB release said, "Prime Minister observed that the combined effort of the Centre and the States has definitely helped reduce the impact of COVID-19 but since the situation is rapidly evolving, constant vigilance is paramount." The release added PM Modi emphasised how the coming three to four weeks were critical for "determining the impact of the steps taken till now to contain the virus.". It also mentioned an "exit plan" discussed by the PM and said, "there seems to be a consensus amongst the states on extension of Lockdown by another two weeks."
From April 11 to April 13, states like Telengana and Tamil Nadu too extended their lockdowns till April 30. Chief Ministers of various states including Karnataka, Delhi and West Bengal have held press briefings, hinting that an extension is in the pipeline.
In a live address, Thackeray explained that he supported the extension of the lockdown and discussed the same with Modi. "Maharashtra will continue to remain locked down till April 30," he said and added, "There could be some places where these restrictions could be eased but there will also be some areas where this will be strengthened even more."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also hinted at an extension of the lockdown in their states and said that they were not in support of ending the lockdown on April 14. Both states are yet to make a formal announcement of an extension.
Karnataka's CM too has given an indication of an extension. Karnataka's CM, BS Yeddiyurappa said in a press conference, "PM told us we must not compromise on lockdown and we are receiving suggestions to extend another 15 days." He added, "In next 15 days, we will relax the lockdown in a graded manner,"adding that the Centre will announce the guidelines for the lockdown extension in the coming few days.
Note: This is a developing story and will be updated.