Mumbai News

Coronavirus Update: All You Need To Know About The Mumbai Shutdown – BloombergQuint

With the number of people contracting the novel coronavirus rising steadily in Maharashtra, the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government has ordered a partial shutdown in Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur.

In his live address to the state through social media today, the chief minister said that government offices will now work at 25 percent capacity.

Thackeray urged business establishments and shop owners to not stop paying wages to their staff during the shutdown period and provide them with minimum wages at the least.

The measures come as the total number of positive coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has risen to 52, according to the state government. Five patients have stopped exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms, Thackeray said, adding that they will be kept under observation for the next 14 days.

What Will Remain Open?

Shops selling essential commodities, including foodgrains, milk and medicines, would remain open.

The chief minister later clarified on his official Twitter handle that banks, stock exchanges, clearing corporations, depositories, stockbrokers and SEBI-registered participants operating through these institutions will be exempted from the shutdown.

The Maharashtra government, while declaring an epidemic in the state last week, ordered malls, swimming pools, gyms, cinema halls and auditoriums to remain shut till the month-end. Restaurants would now join the list.

“Restaurants, cafes, eateries and ‘dhabas’ may continue if they can self-impose 50 percent customer capacity and maintain distance of 3 feet between each customer,” said Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, in a fresh order on social distancing.

The commissioner has also ordered the closure of schools, cinema halls, swimming pools, gyms, malls/mill compound, spa centres, clubs, pubs, discotheques, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, amusement parks, among others, and banning mass congregations, functions.

Train and bus services won’t be affected, but people have been advised to avoid non-essential travel and stay at home.

The chief minister has asked district collectors to clarify to the people about what can remain open and what needs to be shut.

The Mumbai municipal commissioner ordered a complete shutdown of all private, corporate and establishments except for essential services which include:

  • Drinking water
  • Sewerage services
  • Telephone and internet services
  • Rail and transportation services
  • Providing food, vegetable, groceries
  • Hospital, medical centres, medical stores
  • Electricity, petroleum, oil, energy
  • Media
  • Ports
  • IT services provider to any of the essential services
  • Production or manufacturing processes which require continuity of process may continue to function at 50 percent staff strength.
  • Banking services and RBI.
  • Ongoing public infrastructure projects wherever development of water, sewerage, transportation and roads is involved.
  • Stock exchange, clearing corporation, depositories, stock brokers and SEBI-registered participants operating throughout these institutions.
  • Foreign consulates are excluded and may take decisions as per their own requirements in view of the international implications.
  • Production, transportation and supply chain, e-commerce of all essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals, pest control and medical equipment, warehousing of all essential food, grocery and grains.

Source: https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/coronavirus-update-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-mumbai-shutdown