MUMBAI: After a surge in daily Covid-19 cases for the last six days,
Maharashtra and Mumbai reported a slight dip on Monday that officials attributed to fewer than usual tests on Sunday. But the high numbers in the Vidarbha region led to the imposition of more localised curbs.
The state reported 5,210 cases and 18 fatalities, the lowest in two weeks, taking the total to 21,06,094 and the toll to 51,806. Mumbai reported 761 cases — the fewest in the past four days — and four deaths, pushing the tally to 3,19,889 and toll to 11,450.
In Maharashtra, the highest addition of cases came from the Mumbai circle, including MMR, at 1,364 cases, followed by the
Akola circle that reported 1,154 cases. Nagpur region was the third, contributing 946 cases. Among civic corporations, Nagpur and Amravati reported 643 and 555 cases, nearly as many as Mumbai.
A day after Amravati, Nagpur guardian minister Nitin Raut on Monday ordered schools, colleges, coaching classes, resorts and weekly vegetable markets shut from February 23 to March 7 in the district. Weddings and religious, cultural and political programmes will remain suspended from February 25 till March 7. Restaurants must run at 50% capacity and close at 9pm, two hours before what was allowed earlier. The minister clarified there would be no
full lockdown and said no new coronavirus mutation has been found in the district.
In Akola, the collector said only five petrol pumps will remain open from 8am to 3pm. Milk delivery will be allowed for two hours each in the morning and evening. In Buldhana, even for a wedding with 25 invitees, permission will be necessary. Lockdown-like restrictions have been imposed in Buldhana, Chikhli, Malkapur, Khamla, Deulgaon Raja, all tehsil headquarters, for a week. In Bhandara, the Bodalkasa Bird Festival in Gondia district was cancelled.
Active cases in the state increased to 53,113, of which 5,986 were in Mumbai. Cases were rising in the MMR region too. For the fifth day in a row, cases went above 90 in Navi Mumbai, pushing the number of active cases to over 1,000 from its lowest of 700 a fortnight ago. The civic body has begun a crackdown on risky behaviour and increased the penalty for venues flouting the 50-person rule in social functions to Rs 50,000. Thane added 132 cases on Monday and recorded two deaths.
A day after CM Uddhav Thackeray appealed to the public to follow safety norms to avoid another lockdown, health minister Rajesh Tope reiterated the message. “Our state is known for its understanding, sensitive and cooperative people. We have seen how people have cooperated with patience during the lockdown. However, another lockdown will be unaffordable,” he said.
(Inputs from BB Nayak and Nagpur bureau)