Covid-19: 15-day curfew in Mumbai

Mumbai - Maharashtra government imposes severe restrictions for a fortnight.

Published: Wed 14 Apr 2021, 12:55 AM

By
Michael Gomes

Reeling under the ferocity of a renewed Covid-19 crisis, which saw more than 60,000 new cases and over 280 deaths on Tuesday, the Maharashtra government imposed severe restrictions for a fortnight from 8pm on Wednesday.

Describing the situation as “scary”, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the overburdened health infrastructure in the state was unbearable. Maharashtra has experienced a surge in new Covid-19 cases, with 50,000 to 60,000 new cases being added daily, making it the worst-hit state in India.

Thackeray, in his video address, was hesitant to describe it as a complete lockdown. The state government will impose Section 144 (which bars the assembly of five or more people in an area) from 8pm on Wednesday until 7am on May 1.

“I am not happy while announcing these restrictions,” said the chief minister. “I have been warning for the last one month and now is the time to take actions to break the chain.”