As the fear of a second wave of coronavirus continues to linger, Maharashtra will impose a night curfew in the entire state from Sunday, March 28.
On Friday evening, March 26, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray instructed officials to impose a curfew from the night of March 28. Moreover, he also asked them to strictly enforce the restrictions and COVID-19 norms in the state ahead of festivals.
The curfew order doesn't put restrictions on movement at night but prohibits gathering in public places. They should be closely monitored to see if they are complying with the rules and strict action should be taken against them if the SOPs imposed on them in crowded places like malls, bars, hotels, cinemas are not implemented. Also, local authorities should ensure that shopping malls remain shut between 8 pm and 7 am, Thackeray ordered after a meeting here.
This decision came after the CM reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state in a meeting with divisional commissioners, district collectors, superintendents of police and deans of medical colleges.
On the prospect of imposing a lockdown in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray said, “I have no intention of imposing a lockdown, but given the growing number of patients, there is a possibility that the health facilities that we have set up on a large scale across the state will also be reduced.”
He also warned of stricter restrictions if the people did not follow COVID-19 safety rules. He said that district chiefs will decide when to order lockdowns but said that there will not be any sudden state-wide lockdown and the public will be given advance notice.
Maharashtra has also reported a new variant of the virus, called a "double mutant," adding to concerns about the surge in cases. People need to understand that the COVID-19 threat is not over but has grown bigger, the CM said.
More than half the new infections were reported from Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, where millions have returned to work in offices and factories. Hence, officials should check if private establishments are adhering to guidelines on attendance of employees and office timing, Thackeray said.
Besides, he also asked the authorities to increase the availability of ventilators, ICUs and oxygen beds, and ramp up the testing further. Maharashtra is number one state in terms of people covered by the vaccination drive, but it should be conducted more effectively, the chief minister said. Meanwhile, Education minister Amit Deshmukh said that the state should demand more vaccines from the Centre. Teachers should be vaccinated before colleges and schools reopen, he added.
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