As COVID-19 cases continue to spiral in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday decided to withdraw the relaxations given from lockdown in the city, including the permission to reopen liquor shops. 

Only essential services will be available from Wednesday, the BMC said in an order issued on Tuesday night. 

Groceries, medical stores and chemist shops will be allowed to remain open in the city from May 6, it said. 

With the start of phase 3 of lockdown, the Central government had allowed various business, including liquor shops, to operate by following social distancing norms. Following the Centre's relaxed guidelines, Maharashtra government allowed reopening of certain non-essential services, including wine shops. 

Officials said 16.10 lakh litre liquor worth Rs 62.55 crore was sold in Maharashtra on Tuesday. 

However, huge crowds have been seen at shops selling liquor where following social distancing norms become difficult. 

Mumbai on Tuesday reported 635 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, taking the total case count to 9,758 and the death toll to 387. Mumbai has the highest number of cases for any city in the country. 

The BMC order said the relaxations given by the Maharashtra government to run certain non-essential services and shops are withdrawn in Mumbai as the civic body expressed fear that allowing some non-essential services may lead to deterioration of the coronavirus situation in the city.

The BMC said it has been observed that the number of positive cases in Mumbai has been rising and the downward trend is yet to set in.

Gathering of crowds in large numbers without following social distancing norms will be detrimental to the control of the spread of the virus, it said, adding that advantages of the lockdown might be lost due to gathering of people in large numbers.

Due to the reopening of liquor shops, a large number of people had gathered outside such outlets without following social distancing norms, the civic body said.

The third phase of lockdown is in force till May 17.