The Mizoram government extended its lockdown till May 31 to check the spread of novel coronavirus infection, an official said.
The decision was taken after various political parties and several organizations, including those of NGOs, churches, and doctors, favoured extension of the lockdown at a meeting on Thursday, he said.
At a meeting of various task groups on COVID-19 presided over byChief Secretary Lalnunmawi Chuango, it was decided that the lockdown will beextended beyond May 17, the official said.
The lockdown will be extended with new guidelines that were discussed in the meeting, the official added. A task group was formed to study about extending insurance cover to frontline workers such as police, village or local-level task force volunteers, government employees on special duty and those who pick garbage from quarantine facilities.
Meanwhile, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal also proposed the Centre toextend the lockdown till May 31. He said, "I have written to the Centre requestingit to extend the lockdown by two more weeks. All the states were asked towrite to the Centre on the lockdown and related aspects by May 17. The Centrewould then take a final call on the extension and other criteria."