The Centre on Monday said that rumours and mediareports claiming that the 21-day lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus orCovid-19 would be extended are baseless.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) in a statementsaid, "There are rumours and media reports, claiming that the Government willextend the 21 days lockdown when it expires. The Cabinet Secretary has deniedthese reports, and stated that they are baseless."

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba had also denied suchreports on Monday morning. "I'm surprised to see such reports, there is nosuch plan of extending the lockdown," the government's top bureaucrat saidwhile quoted by news agency ANI.

Gauba said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Tuesday ordered the three-week "total lockdown" to break the chain of transmission of the virus, which spreads rapidly. "Forget about stepping out of your homes," Gauba added.

In the past week, keeping up the supply of essentialgoods and food, and controlling the massive flow of migrants heading home havebeen the biggest challenges in the fight against the disease. Large crowds atshops and borders have defeated the purpose of "social distancing"necessary to check the spread of coronavirus.

In India, the Covid-19 cases reached more than 1,000,including 27 deaths.