New Delhi, April 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday agreed with State Chief Ministers to extend the total lockdown imposed in India for two more weeks. The curfew-like restrictions were earlier scheduled to end on April 14. The decision to extend the lockdown for another fortnight-period comes in wake of the exponentially rising coronavirus cases. Although the official announcement is awaited, the State CMs who were part of the video-conference have confirmed the extension of lockdown. COVID-19 Live Tracker: Map The Spread of Coronavirus in All Parts of India.

Modi's decision was welcomed by the CMs -- most of whom had demanded the Centre to extend the shutdown duration. "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 CM Arvind Kejriwal said.

During the video-conference, PM Modi reiterated that his government is striving towards minimising the deaths due to COVID-19 at all cost. "Jaan hai to jahan hai'. When I had addressed the nation I had said that to save life of every citizen, lockdown and social distancing are very important. Most of the people understood this and stayed at home," Modi said.

Update by PTI

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa Confirms

See Arvind Kejriwal's Tweet

Congress-rules Punjab and Rajasthan had already, on Friday, announced an extension in the lockdown till at least May 1. BJD-ruled Odisha became the first state on Thursday to extend the restrictions. The coastal state would remain locked down till at least April 30, CM Naveen Patnaik had said, adding that the schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed till June 17.

The state governments had been consistently raising apprehensions over lifting of the lockdown from April 14. At least four Chief Ministers publicly appealed the Prime Minister to extend the lockdown, as the easing of restrictions were feared to lead to further transmission of the virus. Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao warned of fatal consequences if the lockdown, which he described as the "only weapon with the government", is not continued.

On the day when Modi interacted with the Chief Ministers on the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the toll of cases in the nation surged 7,447 -- nearly 800 cases more than the preceding day. The death toll also climbed to 239 -- a jump of 33 fatalities as compared to Friday. A total of 643 patients have also recovered from the disease in India so far.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), following the video-conference, stated that PM Modi laid stress on measures to minimise the casualties due to COVID-19. He also pitched for "teamwork" and coordination among all states and the Centre to jointly combat the health crisis.

"He emphasized the criticality of coming 3-4 weeks for determining the impact of the steps taken till now to contain the virus, adding that teamwork is the key to facing the challenge," said the statement issued by the PMO.

Modi also ensured the states that the Centre has adequate stock of essential items, including foodgrains, to supply to all parts of the nation. "The PM categorically assured that India has adequate supplies of essential medicines and said that measures are being taken to ensure availability of protective gear and critical equipment for all front-line workers. He also gave a stern message against black marketing and hoarding," the statement read.

Modi also asked the states to make swift changes in the law for allowing farmers to directly market their produce amid the situation of pandemic. "He suggested that direct marketing for farm produce can be incentivised to prevent crowding in mandis, for which model APMC laws should be reformed swiftly. Such steps will help farmers sell products at their doorstep," the PMO said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2020 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).