A health worker checks the temperature of a passenger at Bandra train station in Mumbai. Health officials have detected a spike in COVID-19 cases in several pockets of Maharashtra state, including in Mumbai.
A one-day lockdown will be imposed in Maharashtra's Amravati on February 21 amid rising coronavirus cases in the region, District Magistrate Shailesh Naval said on Thursday. On Sunday, February 21, all markets, offices, shops will be closed except for the essential services. "Owing to rising cases, lockdown declared in Amravati District from Saturday 8pm to Monday 7 am," Shelesh Naval, District Collector, Amravati, said.
The decision by Amravati's District Magistrate has come after the Maharashtra government left it up to the district magistrates of all 36 districts to decide on whether to imposed lockdown in their respective districts.
Restrictions have also been placed in Yavatmal Dist due to rising COVID19 cases. Schools and colleges will remain closed till February 28. Restaurants, function halls to operate & marriage ceremonies to be held with less than 50 per cent capacity of people, assembly of five or more people not allowed, District Magistrate said.
In the past few days, places like Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola in Maharashtra witnessed an increased number of coronavirus cases. A rise in Covid cases was also registered in areas like Nanded, Latur, Beed and Hingoli of the Marathwada region.
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Alarmed by the growing number of coronavirus positive cases in Amravati district of Maharashtra since the beginning of February, the district administration had previously imposed a night curfew but ruled out the possibility of imposition of a fresh lockdown.
District Collector Shailesh Naval on Monday said that the rise in the cases can be attributed to more number of people coming forward for testing.
Amravati district on Monday reported 449 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count to 25,743.
"The curfew is aimed at controlling crowding at public and market places. It does not mean closing down businesses or markets which will function as usual," the collector said.
Naval said the call on functioning of schools in the district has to be taken by respective schools.
"In some schools, teachers and students have tested positive for coronavirus. We leave this decision to managements of schools," he said.
