Check out highlights from PM Modi’s virtual meeting with CMs regarding the COVID-19 lockdown

Key highlights of Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chief Ministers of states to discuss the lockdown.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi conducted a video conference meeting with the state Chief Ministers on 27th April 2020, Monday with regards to the COVID-19 situation in the country. This virtual meeting was his fourth interaction with the CMs since 22nd March. With the confirmed cases nearly 30,000 and over 20,000 active cases, the government is not planning to lift the lockdown completely as of now. PM Modi asked the chief ministers to work towards progressively moving districts out of the lockdown.

The red zones will continue the lockdown beyond May 3. He urged the CMs to “think of ways to energize the economy and reforms”. The meeting was mainly focused on the further strategies for the prevention of the coronavirus infection and ways to ease the lockdown across the country. The meeting was attended by 9 CMs including Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and top officials from the PMO and Union Health Ministry.

“Districts need to come out of the red zones and move to orange zones and the green zones to get relaxations from lockdown. It is a performance-based matrix and caseload needs to come down first in the worst-affected districts through strict implementation of the lockdown for them to qualify for relaxations,” a top government official was quoted saying during the meeting.

These are the points highlighted by CMs with regard to their respective states:

• Conrad Sangma, CM of Meghalaya said that he will continue the lockdown even after 3rd May with a restriction on inter-state and inter-district movement and relaxation for medical emergencies and essential services

• Zoramthanga of Mizoram claimed that his state have been following lockdown religiously and they will continue to follow state directives

• “We have ramped up our facilities in the last 10 days and all positive cases are being treated. Door to door testing continues in hotspot areas of the State. We are increasing beds in Covid care centre. We have adequate medical facilities to tackle the challenge of Covid,"said the Gujrat CM Vijay Rupani. Hotspots areas of the state and after Nizamuddin incident Surat, Vadodara and Ahmadabad have increased surveillance and started treatment of the people affected.

Also read: India’s nation-wide Coronavirus lockdown extended until 3rd May 2020

• Naveen Patnaik, Odisha’s CM had contributed suggestions regarding national lockdown to continue but with an allowance of important activities. However, public gatherings, religious and educational institutions must be completely stopped.

• CM of Himachal, Jai Ram Thakur said that they are now in a position to start economic activities. There has been a wide number of tests through Anganwadi centers. “We have been aggressively testing people with symptoms because bordering states have reported cases. We are very happy that 12 districts of Himachal have no positive case," he said.

• CM Manohar Lal Kattar said they have started industries and trade activities, with over 4 lakh people involved leaving the containment zones

• “We have also started farming activities by following all protocols and social distance is maintained. We have started online classes for higher classes. The inter-district and inter-state movement will remain closed. We will follow any decision taken by the government of India for lockdown," Khattar said.

Inputs from ANI.