Night Curfew returns in Maharashtra, Fresh Restrictions Come Into Force From Midnight l Key Points – India.com

Mumbai: After Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government is reportedly mulling to impose night curfew across the state to reduce crowding during the festive season. Last night, CM Uddhav Thackeray held talks with the members of the state COVID-19 task force, wherein they discussed the ways to avoid public gatherings during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, weddings, and parties at hotels and restaurants, the Chief Minister’s Office had tweeted, adding that the Maharashtra government would issue fresh guidelines on Friday.Also Read – Night Curfew, Cap on Wedding Guests Return in Uttar Pradesh Amid Omicron Scare | Check Fresh Guidelines

Now speaking to the Times of India an official said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is planning to further reduce the number of people allowed in enclosed areas, regulating working hours for establishments and imposing night curfew or IPC Section 144 to control crowds.

Here are the Updates

• Earlier the BMC had issued new guidelines according to which only 50 per cent of the people would be allowed to attend events in closed spaces and only 25 percent in open spaces. The civic body also stressed on the need to maintain 6 feet social distance and COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) at gatherings. “In case of any programme/ function/ gathering/ wedding/ party/ meeting, activity or happening whether, social, religious or political in enclosed/closed spaces, people up to 50 percent of the capacity of the space will be allowed by strictly following 6 feet by 6 feet distance and Covid Appropriate Behaviour-CAB”, the notification read.
• The civic body had also warned that all the violators will be punished under sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• The predominant strain in India is Delta including the recently identified clusters. Therefore, we need to continue with the same strategy of COVID appropriate behaviour and ramping up of vaccination,  said Dr. Balram Bhargava, DG-ICMR.
• Addressing a presser, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said,”The govt had preemptively advised States on 21st December -to impose restrictions like night curfew, regulating large gatherings. increase bed capacity and other logistics and strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behavior.”
• Meanwhile, the Odisha government has restricted the Christmas & New Year celebrations w.e.f 25th Dec to 2nd Jan. Social gatherings, rallies, orchestras, celebrations in hotels, clubs, restaurants, parks, etc will be banned across the State.

In view of the current Covid situation, Odisha Government has restricted the Christmas & New Year celebrations w.e.f 25th Dec to 2nd Jan. Social gatherings, rallies, orchestras, celebrations in hotels, clubs, restaurants, parks, etc will be banned across the State pic.twitter.com/oF43jI2SP2

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2021

• Maharashtra has been put on alert after it recorded the highest spike of Omicron cases (23), so far, taking the state’s tally to 88.
• Of the new cases, 18 are fully vaccinated, one not inoculated and four are minors, and comprise 13 from Pune, five from Mumbai, 2 each from Thane and Osmanabad, and one from Nagpur.
• Among the new cases, 16 had a travel history, including 6 to UAE, 4 to Europe, 2 each to Ghana and South Africa, besides one each to Singapore and Tanzania, while the other 7 are the close contacts of these Omicron infectees.
• While 17 patients are asymptomatic, 6 have exhibited mild symptoms and they span the age group from below 18 to 60-plus. Intensive surveillance of passengers arriving at the three international airports – Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur – is currently underway since December 1.
• Besides, the daily coronavirus case count in Maharashtra has also been rising over the past few days.
• The state on Thursday reported 1,179 new coronavirus cases, a day after it saw 1,201 new infections. On Monday, the state had added 544 cases, while the next day it had logged 825 cases.