Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Home Minister Amit Shah and senior officials today to discuss the way forward as the coronavirus lockdown plan, extended thrice, ends on Sunday. A decision is likely tomorrow on whether to extend the restrictions amid the steady rise in virus cases, given the need to reopen economic activity.

The meeting comes a day after the home minister spoke to chief ministers to discuss their views on extending the lockdown and future strategy to fight the pandemic. 

The escalation in numbers might prove to be a big worry as the country reported 7,467 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the last 24 hours in the highest single-day surge, taking the tally to 165,799, according to the Union health ministry.

The Home Ministry has been asked to analyze inputs from various sectors and states.

Some states have already extended the virus lockdown and “nothing stops them from taking any further steps on their own”, sources said.

Officials said that the CMs, in meeting with Shah, contended that the lockdown should be extended with considerable relaxation in economic activity.

.“I feel lockdown may be extended for 15 more days. However, we demand that there should be some relaxation, say, restaurants should be allowed with social distancing at 50 percent capacity. Many people also want gyms to resume,” Goa CM Pramod Sawant said he made the suggestion to Amit Shah.

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.Earlier, this virtual meeting used to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An officer at the Centre said that he may not interact with the CMs this time.

States like Karnataka have demanded the reopening of religious centers, which, the sources say, will need a political call.

Religious places and gatherings, which draw huge crowds and challenge attempts to enforce physical distancing, have stayed banned since the country went into lockdown in late March.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the country’s top bureaucrat, and other top ministers were present in the meeting.

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.On Thursday, Amit Shah spoke to various Chief Ministers and asked for feedback on a plan after lockdown4 ends on Sunday. This marked a shift from the earlier process of the Prime Minister video conferencing with Chief Ministers to get their views before extending a lockdown.

All Chief Ministers have given their views on how they want to move forward. Over the last few days, the Prime Minister’s Office has also reviewed the entire lockdown period and the trend of virus cases and deaths.