PM Modi to hold virtual meeting with CMs, discuss rising Covid-19 cases

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday meet chief ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country after a weeks-long lockdown to contain the disease was eased.

Modi will hold a video conference with the leaders of 21 states and union territories at 3 pm Tuesday, including Punjab, Assam, Kerala and all northeastern states. On Wednesday, also at 3 pm, he will meet with the 15 worst-affected: including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi.

These will be the sixth and seventh meetings between the Prime Minister and various chief ministers on the coronavirus outbreak.

India saw a jump of over 11,000 novel coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day on Monday, taking the total number of infections to over 3.32 lakh, while the toll rose to 9,520 with 325 more deaths.

The unlocking of the economy in June 2020 witnessed a rapid fall in the unemployment rate. After clocking 23.5 per cent in April and May, the unemployment rate first dropped to 17.5 per cent in the first week of June and then it took a steeper fall to 11.6 per cent in the second week. This fall is almost as dramatic as the rise in unemployment when the lockdown began.

The government’s Unlock 1 plan has allowed inter-state travel and businesses to open up under guidelines for social distancing and safety.

A child being screened as migrants from Chhattisgarh gather for registration and medical certificates to return to their native places, during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown, in Jammu

Ahead of his meeting with chief ministers, the prime minister had on Saturday reviewed the steps being taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in areas with the high caseload and the road map for effective management of the situation.

Modi had suggested that the home minister and the health minister convene an emergency meeting with the Delhi Lt governor and chief minister and other officials to plan a "coordinated and comprehensive response" to handle the challenge posed by rising cases of Covid-19 in Delhi.

The meets suggested by the prime minister took place on Sunday. This would be the prime minister's sixth round of consultation with the chief ministers, the last being on May 11.

Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with all the chief ministers over the telephone in the last week of May, just before lockdown-4 was to end.

(With inputs from PTI)