The Indian prime minister has reportedly decided to extend the 21-day national lockdown following an increase of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest jump in confirmed cases within a day.

The government is also seeking a way to balance the economy while curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

The chief minister of Delhi state said on Saturday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, the federal government has yet to confirm the decision.

Modi held a meeting with chief ministers, in which he announced a shift in focus from "Jaan hai to jahaan hai" (health is wealth) to "Jaan bhi, jahaan bhi" (lives as well as livelihoods), which signals a relaxation of measures for some economic activities and might help mitigate the economic loss for the Indian people.

The next three to four weeks will be critical in judging the effectiveness of the lockdown measures, Modi told the chief ministers. He asked state governments to take action against anyone who violates the lockdown and social distancing policy.

Several chief ministers demanded financial and fiscal relief to fight the epidemic during the meeting. However, Modi suggested direct stimulus packages for the market and aid programs to help the farmers.

The nationwide lockdown to contain the deadly coronavirus is expected to be extended by two more weeks until the end of April after a consensus emerged among states on Saturday.

According to India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the latest number of COVID-19 cases is 7,367, with 715 cured cases and 273 fatalities.