Centre will announce guidelines for lockdown extension soon: Yediyurappa

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa spoke to the media after a four-hour long video conference with Prime Minister Modi

Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa said in a press conference that a lockdown extension was “inevitable” after a four-hour long video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other state chief ministers.

“The Prime Minister told us that we must not compromise on lockdown and that he was receiving suggestions to extend it for another 15 days. In the next 15 days, it will be relaxed in a graded manner. He said that in the next one or two days the Centre will announce guidelines for the next 15 days. The PM said next two or three weeks are critical and this time will decide whether we are successful,” Yediyurappa told the media after the meeting with the PM.

Yediyurappa added that the lockdown this time will be different from the past three weeks. Certain sectors like agriculture and industry will be given relaxations. “Government offices will be allowed to function with partial strength. The PM will announce all this in two days,” he said.

During the meeting with the Prime Minister, Karnataka suggested that the lockdown could be extended under three categories. One for containment areas that have to be sealed off, one where the current lockdown could continue and areas where restricted movement would be allowed.

Referring to the meeting which was held between the Centre and the states, Yediyurappa said, “The PM has held a conference with everyone (CMs) for 4 hours. India’s COVID-19 problem is increasing and we need to stop its spread in society so we have decided to do a lockdown. Now we have 2.5 lakh PPE kits. In the following days, we will have more.”

Source: The News Minute