Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu Announce Lockdown Extension Till May 31

NEW DELHI: As the nationwide lockdown 4.0 will begin on Monday, several states have already announced for extension till the end of this month in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Maharashtra, the worst-affected state, on Saturday, has extended the lockdown in the state till May 31. The Uddhav Thackeray government said that in lockdown 4.0 some relaxations will be in place. Maharashtra has recorded 30,706 COVID-19 cases of which 22,479 are active. The death toll is 1,135.

The green and orange zones will get more relaxations, in terms of starting more services. Only essential services are operational in the state.

Tamil Nadu too has extended the coronavirus lockdown in the state to May 31, albeit with easing of travel- and work-related restrictions for 25 of its least-affected district. However, there will be no relaxations in containment zones.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday evening also said the coronavirus lockdown in the state will continue till May 31, though his government will lift the curfew restrictions.

On Friday, Mizoram had extended the lockdown till May 31.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Monday, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a "completely different form", with new rules.

There will be lots of relaxations and flexibility in the lockdown 4.0 with complete reopening of the green zones, very limited curb in orange zones and strict restrictions only in the containment areas of red zones, said an official privy to the deliberations in the central government, a news agency reported.

The number of COVID-19 cases in India rose to 90,927 on Sunday morning and the toll went up to 2,872. The country has recorded the biggest single-day surge with 4,987 new cases and 120 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry's update.

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