COVID-19 surge: Night curfew across Maharashtra to be enforced from Sunday; lockdown is a possibility, says CM

Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday ordered night curfew in entire Maharashtra from 28 March in view of the unabated rise in cases , an official statement said.

The curfew order will come into effect from the Sunday night. Also, local authorities should ensure that shopping malls remain shut between 8 pm and 7 am, Thackeray ordered after a meeting.

कोरोना रुग्णांची वाढती संख्या लक्षात घेता गर्दी टाळणे,संसर्गाला रोखण्यासाठी कडक उपाययोजना लागू करून त्याची प्रभावी अमलबजावणी करणे नाईलाजाने गरजेचे ठरत असल्याने राज्यभरात रविवार,२८ मार्च २०२१ पासून रात्रीची जमावबंदी लावण्याच्या सूचना मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांनी दिल्या

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) March 26, 2021

He also warned of stricter restrictions if people did not observe safety protocol, an official release said.

Maharashtra recorded 36,902 cases on Friday, the highest one-day rise since the pandemic began.

With a fire at a hospital in Mumbai claiming nine lives on Friday, the chief minister also instructed the authorities to check fire safety measures at all temporary hospitals where patients are being treated.

Thackeray reviewed the situation with divisional commissioners, district collectors, superintendents of police and deans of medical colleges.

Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh was also present for the meeting at the chief minister's official residence 'Varsha', while Health Minister Rajesh Tope took part through video conference.

"I do not wish to impose lockdown. But there is a possibility that healthcare facilities may fall short given the rise in the number of patients," Thackeray said and asked officials to ensure availability of adequate hospital beds and medicines in each district, according to the statement.

"People need to understand that the threat is not over but has grown bigger," the chief minister said.

Lockdown should be imposed in individual districts if needed, but such a step should not be taken suddenly, he said.

Officials should check if private establishments are adhering to guidelines on attendance of employees and office timing, Thackeray said.

Maharashtra is number one state in terms of people covered by the vaccination drive, but it should be conducted more effectively, the chief minister said.

Members of the state task force on should guide district administrations about the new variants of the virus, the chief minister said.

He also asked the authorities to increase the availability of ventilators, ICUs and oxygen beds, and ramp up the testing further.

Deshmukh said the state should demand more vaccines from the Centre. Teachers should be vaccinated before colleges and schools reopen, he added.

As many as 52 lakh people have been vaccinated in the state so far as per the officials.