Maharashtra COVID-19 surge: Another district imposes restrictions. Details here

Essential services will be permitted between 8 am and 3 pm, the authorities added. "Strict action will be taken against people who would violate the COVID-19 guidelines," said Buldhana ADM Dinesh Geete said, reported ANI.

Home isolation is not permitted in the district, he added.

Starting from Monday, a week-long complete lockdown was announced in the Amravati district of Maharashtra. "A curfew will be imposed in Amravati Municipal Corporation and Achalpur municipal council limits from 8 pm on February 22 to 6 am on 1 March," the officials said earlier.

Certain restrictions will be in place in four other districts of Amravati division — Akola, Washim, Buldhana and Yavatmal — with a view to curb the spread of the virus, an official said.

Maharashtra reported 5,210 fresh COVID-19 infections on Monday, after logging over 6,000 cases for three days in a row. With 18 new deaths reported on Monday, the state's fatality count rose to 51,806, the government said.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) reported 1,364 cases. The Akola circle in the Vidarbha region, which covers Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana and Washim districts, besides Akola) recorded 1,154 new infections on Monday. In Mumbai alone, 761 people tested positive for novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

On the other hand, 5,035 patients recovered on Monday, taking the number of persons discharged from hospitals till now to 19,99,982.

Owing to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray informed that the coming eight days will decide whether there will be a lockdown in the state.