Coronavirus: Govt denies lockdown extension, says 'no such plan'

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has said that the government currently has no plans of extending the 21-day nation-wide lockdown. The lockdown was announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.

He said that he was surprised by the reports that said that the lockdown could be extended. "I'm surprised to see such reports, there is no such plan of extending the deadline," said Gauba. The nationwide lockdown had come into effect from 12:00 am on March 21 and is expected to end on April 14.

Earlier in the day, The Prasar Bharti News Services (PBNS) had denied a media news report which said that the government could extend the coronavirus lockdown by a week as on account of the alarming situation in the wake of mass exodus of migrant workers.

The PBNS took to Twitter to deny the news report. "PBNS got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary on this news article. The Cabinet Secretary expressed surprise & said that there is no such plan of extending the lockdown," is said on its official Twitter account

FAKE NEWS ALERT

PBNS got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary on this news article.

The Cabinet Secretary expressed surprise & said that there is no such plan of extending the lockdown. https://t.co/CrLlp6f7X5

- Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) March 30, 2020

The novel coronavirus has so far claimed 30 lives in the country and infected nearly 1,100 people. With 215 cases reported in Maharastra alone. Globally, the number of coronavirus cases have risen to 723,077. So far the virus has claimed 33,984 across the world.

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ALso Read: oronavirus in India Live updates: Govt denies extension of 21-day lockdown