4 states announce lockdown extension

At least four states — Punjab, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Mizoram — announced the extension of lockdowns on Saturday even as the central government came out with guidelines to ease restrictions, giving states the final say on implementation within their jurisdictions. Lockdown 4.0 ends on Sunday.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced a four-week extension of the coronavirus l ockdown till June 30. Though experts have advised against opening of hospitality services and shopping malls in the state, the CM said his government will take into account the Centre’s guidelines for lockdown 5.0.

The other three states extended the lockdown for two weeks.

West Bengal said its extension would come with some relaxations and conditions. “West Bengal has decided to extend the lockdown up to 15/06/2020 with further relaxations with conditions,” an order from the state government stated.

It said indoor and outdoor activities related to TV and cinema production, barring reality show production, including for web-portal and OT T platforms, with not more than 35 persons per unit at a time will be allowed with effect from June 1.

Mizoram Health Minister R Lalthangliana said the state was extending the lockdown in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring states and the return of stranded people.

Meanwhile, speaking before the central guidelines were issued on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: “Schools would reopen after June 13. But the final decision on this would be taken after some days because we are going to extend lockdown till June 15,” he said.

In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted his government was several steps ahead of the coronavirus and was more than prepared to deal with it.

Punjab announced a four-week extension of the lockdown till June 30. The other three states have done so for two weeks