The government is likely to extend lockdown till June 15, sources informed CNN-News 18 on Wednesday. The containment zones will however be reduced to 11 cities/municipal areas including those of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Thane, Indore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Surat and Kolkata, they said.

The fourth phase of the lockdown is currently ongoing and will end on May 31.

"In lockdown 5, states will be given freedom to take a call on religious places. No congregation or festival will however be allowed," sources added.

The government is also considering allowing states to open up gyms.

School, colleges, educational institutions, malls and cinema halls will continue to remain shut.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that temples in the state will reopen from June 1. Speaking to the reporters, he said the plan is to allow all 'sevas' (rituals) at the temples once they open, but depending on the situation, they may limit it to few.

India's count to COVID-19 cases crossed the 1.5 lakh mark, even as the number of fresh infections reported on Tuesday dropped slightly to its lowest number in the past six days at 5,502 while the deaths related to the virus rose by 172, the second highest single-day toll so far.

Catch all coronavirus related updates here

First Published:May 27, 2020 3:00 PM IST