The Mumbai Agricultural Produce Market Committee or APMC has announced that it will shut down Vashi APMC starting Saturday, April 11 until further orders. The Vashi APMC sells daily essentials like foodgrain, spices, vegetables, and fruits.
The secretary of Mumbai APMC, Anil Chavan said that these steps were taken as a consequence of the rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19 across Mumbai. Several areas have been sealed already, while the authorities have long encouraged citizens to stay at home and use online delivery services whenever possible.
The authorities also added that farmers can continue to sell their produce to the traders in Mumbai directly. Traders in Vashi APMC said that the area sees around 15,000 to 20,000 people every day, and it’s nearly impossible to maintain social distancing when people are crammed in such numbers.
Read - BMC Imposes Strict 'Curfew-Like' Restrictions At 200 Hotspots Across Mumbai
Maharashtra has reported 1,380 positive cases of COVID-19 with 97 deaths recorded so far. However, 125 people have recovered from the virus while the rest are receiving treatment. These figures are staggering and Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state in India.
The Maharashtra State Government had a minor scare earlier this week after a tea vendor near CM Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘Matoshree’ residence tested positive for the coronavirus. As a safety measure, all security personnel in Thackeray’s detail were tested for COVID-19. A report from earlier today mentions that more than 160 members of the security team tested negative for the virus.
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