Maharashtra to extend lockdown, says Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday that extending the lockdown period was the most obvious, necessary and safe step to take at the moment. Expressing his gratitude to each citizen of the state for demonstrating "exemplary patience, courage and cooperation" in highly challenging times such as these, Thackeray said he was sure the state will emerge victorious in the fight against the novel coronavirus and very soon will be on its feet. 

"Now, when everything is going super smooth, when we are all fighting the pandemic together, including the state governments and central government, and when everyone is keeping their politics and political maneuvering aside, I do not want any sort of disturbance or distraction happening in my state. I request you all to extend your full support in this endeavor and I am sure we in Maharashtra will emerge victorious, in fact the entire country will," he said.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister, in a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, discussed preventive measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking about the industries, daily-wage workers, schools and universities, he said that his team was working out those details and will be prepared with answers in the coming two to three days. 

"We understand that you all want to know what the impact of this decision will be on your work, life, studies and the like, and I promise you that soon I will come back to you with the answers. You do not have to panic and do not have to spread panic either. Everything will be done in a planned way," he said. 

The chief minister said that the prime minister had appreciated the states for their efforts in fighting the pandemic and had said that the next two to three weeks would be crucial in India's fight against the virus. “If we are to contain the transmission in the coming weeks, we will be successful,” he added.