India to extend world's largest coronavirus lockdown until May 3

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to extend the world's biggest pandemic lockdown for two weeks, until May 3, state ministers said after talks Saturday on the growing fallout in the country.

The initial 21-day lockdown was due to end on Tuesday.

Modi explained that the lockdown, as well as other social distancing measures, have benefited the country despite the economic costs incurred. India needs to curb the spread of the virus and take stricter measures to prevent new hot spots from emerging, the prime minister said, according to a CNBC translation of his remarks in Hindi. 

Modi thanked Indians for abiding by the lockdown despite the hardships many of them endured. 

Many states, like West Bengal for example, announced extensions to the lockdown before Modi’s speech.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted about the decision on Saturday before any formal announcements were made from Modi’s government.

A recent summary of one of Modi’s meetings with all the state chief ministers posted by his office said, “The Chief Ministers suggested that Lockdown should be extended by two weeks.”