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The Mizoram government on Friday extended lockdown till May 31 to check the spread of coronavirus infection, an official said. The decision was taken after various political parties and several organisations, including those of NGOs, churches and doctors, favoured extension of the lockdown at a meeting on Thursday, he said. At a meeting of various task groups on Covid-19 presided over by Chief Secretary Lalnunmawi Chuango, it was decided that the lockdown will be extended beyond May 17, the official said. New guidelines for extended lockdown too was discussed in the meeting, he added. A task group was formed to study about extending insurance cover to frontline workers such as police, village or local-level task force volunteers, government employees on special duty and those who pick garbage from quarantine facilities, the official said.

Colour coded tokens, that specify the time and day of the week are ready for distribution to consumers to buy liquor at State-owned outlets set to open on Saturday as part of efforts tomanagecrowd and ensure social distancing. The Supreme Court's order earlier on Friday paved the way for resumption of liquor salein Tamil Nadu through Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation retail vends. As per the new arrangement, those seeking to buy liquor will have to gettoken first and only then they could make the purchase on the date and time specified, an office- bearer of a TASMACworkers association said here on Friday. The liquor outlets start sales from tomorrow in non- containment areas, except in Chennai Police limits and Thiruvallur district limits, a press note said. Shops would be open 10 a.m to 5 p.m and only 500 tokens would be issued to the public per day per shop, the release added. Seven different colour-coded tokens have been readied to be provided to the people.

The Bihar government has urged the Centre to extend the nationwide lockdown till the end of this month besides keeping rail and air traffic, other than the Shramik Specials and general passenger flights, suspended during the period, sources said here on Friday. The suggestions were made in response to the Centre inviting feedbacks from the states for framing guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown which shall come into force from May 18, they said. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hinted that the lockdown which is to end on May 17, would be extended but with revised guidelines to enable resumption of economic activities for which his government has announced Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package. Read more