Himachal Pradesh will undergo lockdown from May 7 to May 16 to check the spread of COVID-19, the state government decided on Wednesday.

The decision to impose the lockdown was taken at a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, a spokesperson of the state government said.

The meeting was held to review the current COVID-19 situation in the state.

"While government and private offices and establishments will remain closed during the lockdown period, essential services such as those related to health, electricity, telecommunication, water supply and sanitation will be exempted", the official said.

"The cabinet decided that work would continue at civil work sites and horticultural, agricultural and other projects, while educational institutions would remain closed till May 31", he said.

"Government and private transport vehicles will be allowed to ply with 50 per cent occupancy, and inter-state transportation will continue", the official added.