More on Covid-19

MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accepted Maharashtra chief minister's suggestion that religious leaders should be asked to refrain from holding large gatherings.Thackeray made the suggestion during a video conference with Modi in the morning, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.Modi held a video conference with all chief ministers to discuss ways to check the spread of coronavirus.The prime minister accepted Thackeray's suggestion and asked all chief ministers to speak to religious leaders from their respective states and ask them to tell the community members about the need for social distancing and avoiding large gatherings, the CMO said in a statement.Modi also supported Thackeray's view that citizens need to be in good mental health during the lockdown period, it said.State Health minister Rajesh Tope , Home Minister Anil Deshmukh , Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray and senior bureaucrats also attended the video conference.