A healthcare worker takes samples during the Covid-19 pandemic in Mankhud, Mumbai on July 29, 2020. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)
Maharashtra, Mumbai, Thane Coronavirus Live Updates: Maharashtra Thursday reported its highest single-day spike of 11,147 COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 4,11,798. The state’s death toll increased by 266 to 14,729.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Thursday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Pune district, which has recorded more than 78,000 cases so far and seen a spurt in infections in recent weeks. He chaired a meeting of elected representatives, including MP and MLAs, and took stock of the COVID-19 situation and the local administration’s response to the pandemic so far.
On the day Maharashtra reported over 4 lakh cases of the novel coronavirus, the state government Wednesday extended the lockdown till August 31. Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar said the state remains “threatened with the spread of Covid-19”, adding that restrictions would be eased in a “phase wise manner with SOPs”.
Under the new guidelines announced by the state, malls and market complexes will be allowed to function from 9 am to 7 pm. However, theatres, food courts and restaurants will remain closed. Further, the night curfew will remain in place in the state despite the Centre doing away with it.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has said given the size of India’s population, herd immunity “cannot be a strategic choice or option”, and urged people to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour till a vaccine is developed. The ministry also informed that phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials of two indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates have started.
Maharashtra, Mumbai, Pune Coronavirus Live Updates: At a Covid-19 testing center in Mankhurd on Tuesday. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)
Maharashtra, Mumbai, Pune Coronavirus Live Updates:
Maharashtra has extended the statewide lockdown till August 31 in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The Uddhav Thackeray government, however, allowed malls and market places to reopen between 9 am and 7 pm from August 5. Theatres, food courts and restaurants will remain closed. Maharashtra is inching towards recording 4 lakh coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, a sero-survey conducted in Mumbai showed that more than half the people, or 57 per cent, tested in slums had been exposed to and developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus as compared to only 16 per cent of those tested in residential societies.
In other news, India’s coronavirus cases crossed the 15 lakh-mark to reach 1,531,669 on Wednesday. The total number of death toll in the country reached 34,193. As many as 48,512 cases and 768 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
The Centre released its guidelines for Unlock 3.0, which will be enforced in the month of August. Under these guidelines, night curfew has been done away with (note: night curfew remains in place in Maharashtra). Further, yoga centres and gyms have been allowed to reopen, under the Centre’s rules.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-coronavirus-live-updates-mumbai-pune-thane-covid-19-lockdown-guidelines-6530265/
