Maharashtra remained the worst affected after reporting more than 1000 positive cases, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the central government’s figure for the state showed there were 1161 patients, including 79 recoveries and 64 deaths.

Officials have said that after several states suggested the three-week nationwide lockdown over the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak should be extended the Centre is considering enforcing it beyond April 14. It will also keep the option of lifting the restrictions in a staggered manner, officials said.

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The Union health ministry, however, clarified that there was no decision on extending the nationwide lockdown yet, asking people not to speculate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the sweeping restrictions, including a ban on public transport as well as commercial rail and air travel, on March 24 till April 14. Only people involved in the delivery of essential services, such as health care, are being allowed to function during this three-week period.

States such as Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka have suggested they were not in favour of lifting all restrictions after April 14 and conveyed to the Centre that the pandemic will be easier to contain if the lockdown were to continue. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh too have favoured an extension of the lockdown.

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Delhi reported more than 600 Covid-19 cases with nine deaths and 21 discharges, according to central data.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has indicated that his government will ramp up testing along with tracing, treatment, teamwork, and tracking. He cited South Korea’s example to say that mass testing was required to contain the disease before it exploded like in other urban centres in Europe and America.

The Delhi government has ordered conventional kits to test 50,000 people and rapid test kits to test 100,000 people and announced that random testing at hotspots will begin soon.

Tamil Nadu has 716 Covid-19 cases, including 19 people who have recovered and seven who have died.

Kerala, which was the first state to report coronavirus disease cases in January, now has 408 infections. Out of which 70 have been discharged and two have died.