Lockdown likely to be extended, but govt is yet to take final call
PM review on April 11-12 GoM wants schools, malls shut till May 15
The Centre is learnt to be considering extending the nationwide lockdown beyond April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19 after requests from several state chief ministers and health experts, but it will take a final call only after a review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could take place on April 11 or 12.
Top government sources said the Prime Minister’s Office is now working on a graded plan to lift the lockdown in a phased manner, where if it is found in any hotspot in the 75 identified districts no fresh Covid-19 positive cases have been detected, it could ease the lockdown in those areas.
A Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, which met earlier on Tuesday, recommended extension of the closure of all educational institutions and restricting all religious activities with public participation till May 15 irrespective of the government’s final decision on the lockdown, official sources said.
It was decided at the meeting, also attended by home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among others, that religious centres, shopping malls and educational institutions must not be allowed to resume normal
working for at least four weeks from April 14, when the current lockdown is due to end, till around May 15. Sources said it was felt within the GoM that a partial relaxation could be effected in the lockdown, but it was up to the PM to decide.
The PMO got inputs from almost all chief ministers on easing of the lockdown after April 14, with almost all unanimous about easing it in a phased way. With Mr Narendra Modi set to discuss the matter with all political parties on Wednesday, the review meeting on April 11 or 12 (subject to PMO’s confirmation) would take a final call after seeking a political consensus.
Sources told this newspaper that the government will start random
testing across India from Wednesday (April 8) to check the intensity of the virus spread and identify more hotspots to implement the graded plan. The government has already identified hotspots in 75 districts.
Under the graded plan, the Centre will scan all districts in India to find if there are any new pandemic cases or if there is a slowdown in their spread. Based on this, those districts where cases have increased or more hotspots are identified, will remain in lockdown. If it is found districts are seeing a slowdown in terms of infection spread, people in such areas would be allowed to move out, but the borders of “improving districts” would be sealed so that people from neighbouring
districts cannot enter them.
Also, sources said rural (or tribal) belts which have largely remained unaffected by the Covid virus would be isolated from urban areas by sealing their borders to prevent the movement of city people to such areas.
The movement of essential commodities will, however, be eased.
A large number of states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, UP, Bihar, Punjab and Karnataka are not keen on ending the lockdown soon and have indicated it should be eased gradually. Many have indicated they would take a call after reviewing the situation prevailing at the end of the ongoing lockdown period.