Thackeray Says Breaking Covid-19 Chain Priority for Maharashtra as State Withdraws Lockdown Relaxations for Mumbai & Pune

Mumbai: Maharashtra government's priority is to break the chain of COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible and the lockdown to get the state economy back on track, state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Tuesday.

Maharashtra is the most-affected state in the country with the number of COVID-19 positive cases crossing the 5,000-mark and death toll rising to over 200.

Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown in the country on March 25, Maharashtra had announced a lockdown from March 23, while all construction activities had come to a standstill since March 21.

"We are currently in the middle of a crisis that world might have ever seen in the history of humanity. While we, as a government, are sensitive towards the economic pain that various sectors are going through, the priority for us is to break this chain of coronavirus pandemic," Thackeray said during an online seminar organised by real estate apex body Naredco.

He said the intent of the government is to completely lift the lockdown as soon as possible but not before it is able to break the pandemic chain.

"In my interactions with various stakeholders, I am asked two questions- when will the lockdown go and how long is it (lockdown) sustainable. The only answer to these questions is- as long as we, as a country, are successful in controlling the spread. We too are not happy to impose it but our success lies in breaking the chain. It is important to save lives first," Thackeray said.

He said the state along with local bodies have conducted over 75,800 tests so far and only 6% have tested positive.

Thackeray's comments came as the state government on Tuesday withdrew its lockdown relaxation norms for Mumbai and Pune regions, both coronavirus hotspots, and revised its last week's guidelines prohibiting door-to-door delivery of newspapers and magazines in the state.

The curb on doorstep delivery of newspapers and magazines will be in force only in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune city in view of the spread of coronavirus in these regions, the government said.

Lockdown relaxation norms for Mumbai and Pune regions were withdrawn in view of a large number of people found

commuting on April 20, it said.

In its April 18 notification, the government had prohibited door-to-door delivery of newspapers and magazines across the state even while saying that the print media is exempted from lockdown norms from April 20. The move had invited criticism from print media houses and also the opposition BJP.

In its Tuesday order, the government said other lockdown relaxations meant for select activities will not be applicable in the MMR and the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR).

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