Coronavirus crisis | Himachal Pradesh extends lockdown in two districts till June 30

The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday extended the lockdown in two of the state's 12 districts for another five weeks till June 30 as additional measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The order has been passed by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as the state has recorded 214 cases of COVID-19 with 63 patients recovering and five succumbing to their deaths to date. Among the two districts in the state where the lockdown has been extended, Hamirpur has recorded over one-fourth of the total cases with the count coming up to 63 followed by Solan registering 21 cases.

The decision to extend the lockdown in Himachal Pradesh's two districts comes as several states across the nation have begun easing lockdown restrictions with the Centre as well resuming domestic air travel services. Up until now, only Maharashtra has suggested the possibility of extending the ongoing lockdown in the state considering it has registered the most number of coronavirus cases in the country. The nationwide lockdown first imposed from March 25 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to come to its end on May 31.