With Maharashtra reporting an average of 60,000 new COVID-19 cases and 500 deaths each day, the State government on Thursday decided to extend till May 15 the lockdown-like restrictions in force under the ‘Break the Chain’ campaign.
Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte issued an order, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, extending all curbs imposed under the orders of April 13 and 21 “till 7 a.m. on May 15”.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a review meeting to take stock of the pandemic situation with all Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors across the State. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said the State Cabinet had unanimously recommended extending restrictions for a minimum of 15 days after May 1.
A week after it had imposed lockdown-like curbs, the government placed additional restrictions by curtailing the timings of shops selling essential food items like groceries, vegetables and poultry. Movement within cities and gatherings were further restricted by the order of April 21, which curtailed timings of all essential shops to four hours only.
Since then, all groceries, vegetable and fruit shops, dairies, bakeries, confectioneries, as well as all other types of food shops (including chicken, mutton, fish and eggs)” are kept open only between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The government also prohibited inter-district and inter-State travel and re-started the e-pass system for those in the non-essential services category who may be compelled to travel in case of emergencies.
Exempted categories
As per police regulations, doctors, nurses, police personnel, government employees, food delivery agents need not apply for the e-pass and can pass checkpoints by showing their identity cards.
