Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday hinted that some restrictions could be introduced in the city in a bid to flatten the coronavirus curve, including curbs on local trains.
Speaking to reporters, the official said, “Nobody wants lockdown but keeping in mind the manner in which cases are rising and creating pressure on the health infrastructure, some strict measures will have to be taken”.
“Train journey might be restricted to only essential services staff only as in the past,” the mayor said, adding that malls, theatres may also be shut considering that people don’t follow Covid-19 norms.
Pednekar also asserted that due to the surge, a shortage of beds and ventilators is also being seen. “Cases are rising daily in Mumbai, this is a matter of concern. We had been appealing to people since last March but they are showing carelessness”, news agency ANI quoted Pednekar as saying.
Maharashtra reported as many as 47,828 new infections on Friday – its highest since the pandemic reached India in March 2020.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday warned of a full lockdown to curb coronavirus infections if people did not limit their movement, as the country hit a six-month high for daily cases.
“Consider this a warning that I could impose a complete lockdown in the next couple of days if things remain the same,” Thackeray said in a televised address.
He said that people were not taking necessary precautions such as wearing masks or avoiding unnecessary travel.
“The situation in the state is worrying. If it continues, our health infrastructure will be inadequate in the next 15-20 days,” Thackeray added.
Meanwhile, religious places, hotels and bars, shopping malls, and movie theatres in Pune district of Maharashtra will remain shut for seven days starting April 3 in view of a substantial rise in coronavirus cases. A curfew will be in place across the district from 6 pm to 6 am. Only home deliveries of food, medicines and other essential services will be allowed in this period.
Cases have also spiked in Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Source: https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-maharashtra-covid-19-lockdown-news-latest-updates-on-operations-of-mumbai-local-trains-2884386
