The Union Home Ministry also sought views of State governments on the 21-day lockdown including on whether more categories of people and services need to be exempted, officials said on Friday, amidst indications of a possible two-week extension of the nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus.The Health Ministry in the meantime maintained that no community transmission is taking place as yet in India, while the World Health Organisation also put the country in a category named ‘cluster of cases’ – a notch below the community transmission stage and a classification used by the global body for cases “clustered in time, geographic location and/or by common exposures”.

Modi is likely to give a televised address to the nation again to announce the lockdown extension. At the end of the four-hour meet today, PM Modi said he will allow industries and construction work to reopen in a graded manner. Other restrictions are also likely to be eased in a graded manner and another economic package for farmers is expected.

“Now operations connected with the industry and processes such as feeding, maintenance, harvesting, processing, packaging, cold chain, sales, marketing, etc. have been allowed, but it will be the responsibility of heads of organisations to ensure that social distancing and proper hygiene procedures are strictly adhered to,” she said.

“Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has processed about 1.37 lakh claims across the country disbursing an amount of Rs 279.65 crore under a new provision especially formulated by amending the EPF Scheme to help subscribers fight Covid-19,” a labour ministry statement said.