Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government has decided to extend the lockdown in hotspot areas like Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Malegaon, Aurangabad and Solapur until May 31. According to the report, in other areas of the state, it will implement the guidelines that the Centre will issue in the next two days. The state government is yet to issue any official announcement.
"In the rest of the state, the guidelines of the Centre will be implemented when they have announced before the lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17," a state government official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on Thursday.
The state will implement Centre's guidelines that will be issued in the next two days in the other areas, a report in Mumbai Mirror says.
“I want the lockdown in Mumbai to continue beyond May 18, otherwise the BMC’s efforts will go waste.," New municipal commissioner IS Chahal, who is also the disaster management chief, told Mumbai Mirror.
In a meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues on Thursday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray discussed extending the lockdown in coronavirus hotspots. Thackeray also asked the state administration to submit a report on what activities can be allowed outside containment zones in cities that fall in the red zone.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Industries Minister Subhash Desai and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde at Old Mayor bungalow in Dadar.
“We discussed what relaxations can be given and what measures should be taken in red zones or hotspot areas such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Malegoan and Aurangabad. We all agreed to extend the lockdown in these areas till May 31, as saving the lives of the people is the priority," maintaining that the lockdown would be extended in these areas, a senior minister told Indian Express.
The state added 1,602 new COVID-19 cases - a fresh single-day high - taking the tally to 27,524 on Thursday. Meanwhile, Mumbai registered a whopping 998 fresh cases, followed by 70 cases in Thane, 64 in Navi Mumbai, 21 in Mira Bhayander and 6 in Kalyan-Dombivali.
Three cities in the state, namely, Mumbai, Pune and Thane account for as many as 23,339 cases or 84.79 per cent of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra.
The nationwide shutdown, which was first enforced on March 24, has been extended twice, on April 14 and May 4. The third phase will end on May 17.
Maharashtra coronavirus hotspots:
- Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)
- Thane
- Pune
- Solapur
- Aurangabad
- Malegaon
- Nagpur
- Sangli
- Ahmednagar
- Yavatmal
- Aurangabad
- Buldhana
- Nashik
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