The Maharashtra government on decided to reinstate a full lockdown in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR), just a day after some curbs were relaxed.
“In view of the large number of people commuting because of the relaxation issued under order dated 17 April (which allowed a partial lifting of the lockdown) and also the imminent threat of further spread of the pandemic, it is hereby directed that in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune Metropolitan Region, the order issued on 17 April will not apply and the position prevailing prior to the issuing of the 17 April order shall be reinstated,” said an order by state chief secretary Ajoy Mehta.
On 17 April, the Maharashtra government had issued guidelines on partial lifting of the lockdown from 20 April. Among the sectors that have been allowed to resume activities are agriculture and its branches (horticulture, fisheries, plantations, animal husbandry,forest-related activities), MGNREGA work, movement of cargo, functioning of commercial and private establishments, industries operating in rural areas, manufacturing in special economic zones and industrial townships only in non-containment zones, construction of roads, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, renewable energy projects and all urgent pre-monsoon related work. With Tuesday’s order, all these activities will be disallowed again in MMR and PMR, the two largest metropolitan areas in the state.
By Tuesday evening, Maharashtra reported 5,218 covid-19 cases, with 251 deaths. In the last 24 hours 552 new cases and 19 deaths were reported.
A five-member inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) on Tuesday visited the Kasturba hospital and the headquarter of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in the metropolis.
The team was led by Manoj Joshi, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Food Processing and Industries, a Maharashtra government official said.
Another five-member IMCT team led by Sanjay Malhotra, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Power, is taking stock of the COVID-19 situation in Pune, which is among the worst-hit cities apart from Mumbai and Indore.
