New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a video conference with state chief ministers and discussed the “common exit strategy” that needs to be followed after the 21-day national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.

"It is important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once the lockdown ends," Modi told Chief Ministers in the video-conference on Thursday.

The PM said it "can't be business as usual" after the lockdown and certain safeguards would have to be taken, according to a press statement on the interaction.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who was present during the interaction tweeted the image, which showed social distancing being followed by those attending the meeting in a large hall. Also present in the meeting were Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harshvardhan.

“Prime Minister @narendramodi interacts with CMs to bolster efforts to tackle COVID-19,” tweeted Shah.

Modi ordered a total lockdown on March 24 and said it was necessary to break the chain of transmission of the highly contagious disease. He said social distancing was the only way to control the spread of coronavirus.

The sudden announcement led to a scramble for essential supplies and over the next few days, thousands of migrants, abruptly left without jobs, shelter and food, started walking home. One death of a migrant was also reported.

During his monthly radio show, Modi apologised to the migrants, saying "I have had to take some decisions that has created hardship for you, especially my poor brothers and sisters... They must be thinking what kind of Prime Minister is this who has locked up all of us. I specifically ask for forgiveness from them. But looking at the world, this looks like the only option."

The disease caused by a novel coronavirus has killed at least 50 in India till Thursday morning - 12 of those deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. The number of people infected with COVID-19 rose to 1,965.

Officials said during the video conference, Modi and other leaders discussed tracing the contacts of those who have been found infected with coronavirus and sending positive cases to quarantine facilities.

In the meeting, Modi also discussed the sudden spurt in positive cases after hundreds attended an Islamic sect meeting in Delhi's Nizamuddin, where many were found infected with coronavirus, and returned to their home states.

This was PM Modi's second video conference with chief ministers after COVID-19 infections were first detected in India last month and the first such meeting after the Prime Minister enforced a 21-day lockdown to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.