New Delhi, May 28 (IANS): Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will hold a meeting with all states and Union Territories (UTs) on Thursday on the issue of "Public Health Response" to COVID-19, the deadly virus which has infected 1,58,333 people across the country so far.

The meeting will start around 11.30 a.m. through a video conference in which Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries (Health) of all states and UTs will take part, the Home Ministry said.

Municipal Commissioners of Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmadabad, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Howrah, Indore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur have also been requested to join the meeting, it said.

These cities are among those which reported maximum number of novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 patients in the country.

Collectors of the concerned districts may also join the conference which is unique compared to previous COVID-19 meetings chaired by Gauba since the lockdown has been imposed to break the chain of transmission of the disease.

It is learnt that Gauba will take stock of situation and plan a further strategy to slow down the number of COVID-19 patients in the country.

As the countrywide lockdown 4.0 is to end on May 31, the meeting is significant considering new strategy of the Central government against the virus which has crippled not only the lives of people but also the economy, which has been passing through its worst phase.

The meeting is expected to lay a roadmap for the Central government in taking decisions whether the ongoing lockdown that has crossed over 60 days should be extended further. It will also decide the nature of lockdown 5.0 and its duration if the government thinks to implement it further.

The lockdown was imposed across the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced the restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease.