As India enters final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as to continue the fight against coronavirus.

In a video conference with the chief ministers, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the coronavirus hotspots zones, the government said in a statement.

The Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has 'yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months', it said.

'Prime Minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months,' the statement added.

Modi also said that masks and face covers will become part of lives of people in the days ahead, adding everyone's aim must be to ensure rapid response under the current circumstances.

This is Modi's fourth such interaction with state chief ministers since March 22 when he discussed coronavirus situation and steps taken—both by the Centre and the states—to contain the pandemic. Two days later on March 24, Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. He extended the lockdown by 19 days on April 14, the last day of the initial three week shutdown, till May 3.

After the meeting, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that he mooted the idea of continuing the lockdown.

'At the video conference called by the hon'ble PM Modiji and hon'ble Home Minister Shahji. We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in Green Zones or non-COVID affected districts in Meghalaya,' Sangma tweeted.

At a press conference after the meeting, Puducherry chief minister V. Narayanasamy said that most of the chief ministers, during the interaction with Modi, suggested that a 'cautious approach' is needed needed when lifting the lockdown, which they said should continue, but economic activity should also start slowly.

'The chief ministers were unanimous in telling the Prime Minister that the way the coronavirus is spreading in the country and cases are rising, there should be a cautious approach in opening the lockdown, and the Prime Minister should take a call on what needs to be done,' he said at the press briefing through a video-conference.

As many as nine chief ministers made presentations at the meeting, including Narayanasamy, his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and Bihar's Nitish Kumar.

The chief ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana also made presentations at the meeting.

They said the government should evolve a policy for sending home the migrant workers stranded across the country due to the lockdown.

'The Prime Minister mentioned about migrant labourers, but he did not give any solution to resolve the issue,' Narayanasamy said.

He added that Kumar raised the issue of migrants facing problems at many places.

Narayanasamy said the chief ministers demanded that the Centre announce a stimulus package on the lines of the one announced by the UPA government in 2008 for revival of the economy.

'The Prime Minister did not give any assurance about the package,' the Puducherry chief minister added.

Narayanasamy said Modi lauded Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot for taking steps to curb the spread of Covid-19 in his state and also mentioned the work done by the chief ministers of Odisha and Bihar in containing the disease.

The government earlier made a presentation on how India has been able to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Narayanasamy said the Centre claimed that the rate of the infection is only one per cent in India, which is much lower compared to many other countries.

Union home minister Amit Shah, health minister Harsh Vardhan and top officials from the PMO and the Union health ministry were also part of the meeting.

The chief ministers who attended included Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), E. K. Palaniswami (Tamil Nadu), Conard Sangma (Meghalaya) Trivendram Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh).

The Prime Minister was wearing a white gamcha (Indian stole for men) with green border. He has been using gamcha to cover his face during such meets.

In a tweet on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office said Modi and the chief ministers will be discussing aspects relating to the Covid-19 situation.

Sources in the government had on Sunday indicated that besides discussing the way forward in dealing with the pandemic, the Prime Minister and chief ministers could also focus on a 'graded' exit from the lockdown.

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address on Sunday, the Prime Minister said the country is in the middle of a yudh (war) and asserted that people have to continue being careful and take precautions.

His note of caution came amidst gradual exemptions being granted by the Centre and states to revive economic activities.

'I urge you not to get overconfident. You should in your over-enthusiasm not think that if the coronavirus has not yet reached your city, village, street or office, it is not going to reach now. Never make such a mistake. The experience of the world tells us a lot in this regard,' Modi said while referring to a popular Hindi idiom Sawdhani hati, durghatna ghati (disaster strikes when you lower your concentration).

The Centre and the state governments have been giving gradual exemptions to boost economic activities as also to provide relief to people as some states want further relaxation in areas which have seen few or no coronavirus cases.