Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan says lockdown till June 15 to fight Covid-19

Madhya Pradesh reported 7,645 Covid-19 cases till date as per the Union health ministry data on Saturday morning. Three hundred and thirty-four people have died from Covid-19 in the state while 4,269 have recovered.

Madhya Pradesh has became the first state in the country to extend lockdown till June 15, even as the fourth phase of nationwide shutdown officially ends tomorrow.

“We will be extending the lockdown till June 15 to fight Covid-19,”CM Chouhan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He also said that schools in the state would open after June 13 while speaking to students from 10 districts through video conference on Saturday.

“Schools would reopen after June 13. But the final decision on this would be taken after some days because we are going to extend lockdown till June 15,” Chouhan said, reports PTI.

With 246 new Covid-19 positive cases reported on Saturday, the central state tally has gone up to 7,891, according to the state health departement, reports ANI. The state also reported nine deaths , taking the death toll to 343 while 4,444 patients have been cured and discharged.

The chief minister also told the students that his government has transferred a total of Rs 145.92 crore into the accounts of 66.27 lakh students.

According to PTI, the money is in lieu of mid-day meals for students which at present cannot be served due to lockdown and closure of schools.

Madhya Pradesh’s Indore is among the worst-hit 13 cities in the country which will see new, comparatively stricter guidelines in the fifth phase of the lockdown beginning June 1.

Soon after Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s announcement , the Centre, too, extended the lockdown in containment zones till June 30, saying all economic activities can restart in a phased manner outside those zones.

The fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, was scheduled to end tomorrow.

The order said there will be strict enforcement of lockdown in containment zones.