The Maharashtra government on Saturday decided to extend the Covid-19 lockdown till April 30 with chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray underlining that it may be further extended if people do not cooperate.

“The lockdown may continue even after April 30 if people don’t cooperate in preventing the outbreak,” said CM Uddhav Thackeray while addressing people via video call.

He added that plans were being undertaken for labourers and other industries.

“The lockdown will continue from April 14 to April 30. But after April 14, whatever we will do will be according to a plan. For colleges and schools, we are working out plans. For industry also, we are working out plans. When it starts, what will start first, what will the labourers do? All these issues require answers and I will share them with you by the 14th,” he said.

Thackeray was one of the 13 chief ministers who had a video conference meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning, to discuss whether the lockdown should be extended.

“I was asked to speak first at the video conference. I shared my views with the Prime Minister. We have to concentrate in Mumbai and Pune. We have not stopped farming activities anywhere and that will continue. Essential services will continue. Post the 14th, we don’t want any chaos in Maharashtra,”Thackeray said.

Maharashtra is the worst-hit state by coronavirus, with 110 dead and 1,574 cases

According to Union Health Ministry’s latest figures, the highly infectious novel coronavirus or COVID-19 has infected 8,356 people in India, killed 273.

The number of coronavirus cases in India would have shot up to 8.2 lakh by April 15, the government said on Saturday, if a countrywide shutdown was not enforced.