No Fresh Lockdown, Clarifies PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday clarified that there is no intention to impose further lockdown in the country. Addressing a video-conference meeting with chief ministers of various states on COVID-19, he stated that the lockdown in the country has given way to 'Unlock 1.0'.

"There will not be any further lockdown in the country. The lockdown is over. 'Unlock 1.0' is going on now, It is time for us to discuss what needs to be done as part of Unlock 2.0."

The Prime Minister gave this clarity when Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao drew his attention to the speculation about a fresh lockdown in the country.

The Prime Minister urged the states to increase their capacity of  COVID-19 testing and health infrastructure.

The chief ministers of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Odisha and the Lieutenant General of Jammu & Kashmir participated in the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These states account for over 85 per cent of the total coronavirus cases in the country. Home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh also attended the meeting.