Maharashtra's Yavatmal district to go for 10-day lockdown amid rising COVID cases

BULDHANA: Concerned by growing number of coronavirus cases, the administration in eastern Maharashtra's Yavatmal district ordered a ten-day lockdown from Thursday night.

Earlier in the day, a weekend lockdown was announced in Amravati district of the same Vidarbha region from 8 pm on Saturday to 7 am on Monday.

Yavatmal Collector M D Singh said the number of coronavirus cases in the district was increasing since February 1, and the district has 606 active cases as of Wednesday.

Almost 80 to 90 percent of new cases were being reported from Yavatmal, Pandharkawda and Pusad cities, he said.

"We have decided to conduct around 500 tests per day in Yavatmal, Pandharkawda and Pusad municipal corporations.

Today we are ordering lockdown in Yavatmal district till February 28," Singh said.

Schools, colleges, coaching classes will remain closed and no religious functions will be allowed during this period, while only 50 persons will be allowed at weddings, he added.

Official sources had said earlier that the Maharashtra government may impose a stricter lockdown in Yavatmal, Amravati and Akola cities of Vidarbha region in view of the COVID-19 situation there.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar discussed the issue on Thursday morning, they said.

The state reported 4,787 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest one-day count this year.