Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet has confirmed that the country is going to witness an extension in the lockdown for two more weeks.
The lockdown was scheduled to end on Tuesday. However, it seems it is not going to happen anytime son, as Kejriwal tweeted, “PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India’s position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote.
Kejriwal’s comments came soon after the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he held a four-hour discussion with at least 13 chief ministers on video conference.
Another major turn of events especially in the way the problem will be solved will be focus on economy too. Towards the end of the meeting today, however, he stressed on “Jaanbhijahaanbhi (both life and economy are important)” as the lockdown has put severe stress on businesses, however, three weeks ago, while announcing the lockdown, PM Modi had said, “Jaanhaitohjahaanhai (the world exists if life exists).
Most chief ministers who attended the video conference pointed out that they may not have the massive resources needed to deal with a spurt in COVID-19 cases if the lockdown is removed sooner. The chief ministers asked the centre for relief packages.
“Extend the lockdown. We’re not short on infrastructure to deal with coronavirus, but the question is of implementing policies effectively. PM Modi has always welcomed the suggestions of states,” Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
Modi is likely to address the nation soon to announce the extension in lockdown. Modi said he will allow industries and construction work to reopen in a graded manner while another economic package for farmers is also expected.