No further lockdown due to coronavirus, says Maharashtra government as cases cross 1L
The government reiterated that the people should refrain from crowding as the threat of coronavirus is not over yet.
Mumbai: Amid the speculation of imposition of lockdown in Maharashtra, the state government on Friday made it clear that there is no such proposal in the pipeline. However it reiterated that the people should refrain from crowding as the threat of coronavirus is not over yet.
Stating that some media reports were creating confusion in the minds of people, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government was easing the lockdown restrictions in phases to restart the economy. “We are easing lockdown restrictions in phases to restart the economy. But lifting of restrictions does not mean unnecessary crowding and violating discipline of physical distancing and hygiene,” he said in a statement, issued by the chief minister office (CMO). Thackeray also urged the media to verify news before publishing it.
Though the lockdown has been extended till June 30, the Maharashtra government announced a slew of relaxations and phase-wise resumption of activities under the “Mission Begin Again”. All markets, market areas and shops, except malls, were allowed to reopen in the state from June 5 on the odd-even basis in non-containment zones. It also allowed private offices to operate with up to 10 per cent of their employee strength as per the requirement from June 8.
The chief minister also said that wearing face-masks, maintaining physical distance, washing hands regularly should be made part of our lives. “This is necessary for good health of our own and our loved ones. Self-discipline is a must,” he said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra continued to top the corona tally in India, as it crossed the 1 lakh mark on Friday. The tally reached 1,01,141 as 3,493 new patients came to light in the last 24 hours. The death toll rose to 3,717 with 127 new deaths recorded. However, 1,718 patients were discharged after recovery during the day, taking the number of recovered patients in the state to 47,796.
The worst-affected Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) accounts for 75,658 cases and 2,563 deaths. The Mumbai city alone has reported 55,451 coronavirus cases and 2,044 deaths.
Among other hotspots, Malegaon city has reported 865 cases and 65 deaths, Jalgaon district 1,197 cases and 105 deaths while Jalgaon city has reported 347 cases and 15 deaths.
Pune city has reported 9,581 cases and 419 deaths, Solapur city 1,501 cases and 113 deaths, Satara 717 cases and 27 deaths, Aurangabad city 2,351 cases and 123 deaths, Akola city 906 cases and 34 deaths, Nagpur city 903 cases and 12 deaths.