Telangana extends coronavirus lockdown till May 7; online food delivery banned in Hyderabad

Online food delivery services will also remain suspended till May 7 and food aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato will remain offline in Hyderabad during the lockdown in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced the extension of coronavirus lockdown till May 7 with even stricter curbs. Addressing a press conference, CM KCR said that the state Cabinet has decided to extend the lockdown in view of the prevailing situation.

"We are extending lockdown till May 7 in the state. It will only end on May 8," KCR said, adding that a Cabinet meeting will again be held on May 5 to decide on the future course of action.

KCR — Telangana CM said that people won't die if they don't eat pizza for a few days.IANS

Online food delivery banned in Hyderabad

He also announced that online food delivery services will also remain suspended till May 7 and food aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato will remain offline in Hyderabad during the lockdown in view of the coronavirus pandemic. "We will not die if will don't eat pizza," CM K Chandrashekar Rao asserted.

The decision to ban online food delivery has come days after a Pizza delivery boy in Delhi tested positive for coronavirus and 72 families had to be put under quarantine. KCR said that there will be no relaxation in the lockdown and the same rules with even stricter curbs will be followed till May 7.

Furthermore, weddings will not be allowed to take place in the state even after May 7 and function halls shall be used to store fertilizers, CM KCR said. A decision in this regard will be taken by district collectors, he added.

Telangana's extension of lockdown has come hours after Delhi and Punjab announced that they won't relax the restrictions after April 20 even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said several services will be resumed in green zones.

Ramadan congregations will not be allowed

Asserting that people need to follow the lockdown seriously, the Telangana chief minister also said that Ramadan congregations will not be allowed in the state. The holy month of Ramadan will start from April 24. This is regarded as a crucial month for Muslims and large gatherings are held in mosques and people often gather to break their fasts.