PM Narendra Modi to hold meetings with CMs on COVID-19 amid mounting cases

With cases of COVID-19 mounting in Unlock 1.0 and metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi sitting on a powder keg of the pandemic spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding interaction with Chief Ministers in two batches on June 16 and June 17 to discuss the strategy ahead.

The meeting comes at a time when the total number of cases have crossed 3 lakh mark and Centre has asked the state governments to pay special attention to the emerging epicentres of the disease and take tough measures in containment zones.

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Modi will be holding interactions with Chief Ministers of Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu, Sikkim and Lakshadweep on Tuesday.

But it is the second round of meeting on Wednesday that is more important when Modi will hold interactions with states with high loads of virus like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana and Odisha.

The rising number of cases has raised concerns and questions on the entire exit plan after the 68-days nationwide lockdown, which came to an end on May 31. Announcing substantial easing and opening up, the government preferred to call the Lock down 5.0 from June 1 to June 30 as Unlock 1.0, which had an inbuilt graded exit plan under which malls, temples and transport services were substantially opened up alone with eateries and salons.

There is a buzz that the government may revisit its stand and announce another lockdown with stricture measures but all depend on feedback from states as since the third lockdown, the decision making has been shifted to states and then further down to the districts and municipal corporations.

Despite the Centre permitting substantial openings in Unlock 1.0, some states have taken their own decisions. Uttarakhand on Friday decided to impose lockdown in the state on Saturdays and Sundays in the wake of rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases. Madhya Pradesh has imposed weekend lockdown on Sunday. Delhi and Tamil Nadu have voiced reservations against another lockdown. Punjab has favoured a partial lockdown,

On Friday there was also a petition in Delhi High Court seeking extension of lockdown in Delhi but the court refused to entertain the plea saying it is for the Centre and states to decide and the court will not be taking a call on such policy issues.

On Friday, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held confabulations with senior officials of different states on COVID-19 management.