Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day video conference with chief ministers starting 3 PM on June 16 to discuss the strategy to check the spike in COVID-19 cases which are now reported even from rural belts, some of the states have tightened the curbs.
Meanwhile, the Centre has refuted reports about the imposition of another nationwide lockdown.
Before Tamil Nadu announced complete lockdown in three districts including Chennai from June 19 to June 30, Rajasthan sealed its borders with all states.
Uttar Pradesh and Haryana sealed their border with Delhi. Punjab sealed its borders and clamped weekend curfews on Saturday and Sunday. Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttarakhand have also clamped weekend curfews.
With Home Minister Amit Shah taking the lead, testing will be ramped up in Delhi, where the pandemic had literally exploded despite claims of preparations.
Last Friday a petition filed in Delhi High Court sought extension of the lockdown in Delhi but the court declined to interfere in policy issues and pushed the ball into the courts of the central and the state governments.
The sixth meeting of Modi with CMs will focus on how to sustain the economy and livelihood without letting Covid concerns slip away.
In the first round, the PM on Tuesday will interact with the CMs of 21 states and UTs, which together account for less than 5% of total cases. In the second round of meeting on Wednesday, Modi will talk to CMs of states with higher caseloads.
On Saturday, Modi, during deliberations with ministers and officials, instructed the health ministry to plan strategies in consultation with the states and UTs. In a precursor to the PM's meeting with CMs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday held confabulations with senior officials of various states.
(Published 15 June 2020, 16:39 IST)
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