Cong wants to extend lockdown by 7 days

Ranchi: Congress, a constituent of the ruling Mahagathbandhan faction in the state, on Tuesday appealed chief minister Hemant Soren to extend the weeklong lockdown by seven days to curb the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state.
With two days left for the ‘health safety week’ to come to an end, sources in the state government hinted the duration might be extended but a final call will be taken by Soren.
Congress spokespersons Alok Dubey and Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo in a statement said, “Going by the current spate of Covid cases, extension of the current lockdown is the need of the hour.”
Soren’s party — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) — had in fact called for a complete lockdown during the all-party meeting convened by the CM before imposition of the current lockdown (April 22-29). The same may be considered once again to break the chain of the virus.
Meanwhile, BJP too batted for a strict lockdown for at least one week, unlike the present mode of lockdown, to arrest the uptick of cases in this state. Notably, in his address to the nation a few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the states to refrain from complete lockdown but the state unit of BJP said that the situation in Jharkhand is out of control due to administrative apathy and incompetence. “PM had said don’t go for complete lockdown unless important and in Jharkhand the government seems to be not in control of the situation,” said a senior leader of the saffron party unwilling to be named.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha on the other hand said they will support state government in whatever decision it takes to control the situation. “The current format of the lockdown in this state seems to have failed going by the number of cases we are still receiving. Since April 22, some 20,000 new cases and close to 400 deaths have been reported. Hence, it is important to take urgent steps to break the chain,” he Sinha.
President of Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) Praveen Kumar Jain (Chabaria) said that they are ready for an extension of the lockdown.
“We demand the lockdown to be extended for a week. During this time, the government must sort out issues like oxygen supply, availability of medicines and beds. Despite government’s efforts, we don’t think, it has been able to address issues completely, leading to panic among people,” he said.
He added, “The lockdown should also be extended to get a clear cut picture of the emerging situation. The cases we are getting now are at least four to five days old due to delayed testing. The actual impact of the ongoing weeklong lockdown will only be known in next few days. Hence, the lockdown should be extended like in other states.” Despite relaxations in several sectors like agriculture, mining and construction, fear has grounded activities by more than 50%, he said.
Sources in the state disaster management department said a decision will be taken soon. “The government is evaluating the situation and a formal announcement will be notified soon,” said an official.