India's Maharashtra state to impose new COVID-19 restrictions, weekend lockdown

MUMBAI: The Indian state of Maharashtra will impose stringent restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 from Monday, a state minister said on Sunday (Apr 4), following a rapid increase in infections. 

The state will shut down shopping malls, cinemas, bars and restaurants from Monday evening and impose a complete lockdown on weekends, Nawab Malik told reporters after a cabinet meeting. 

READ: India's Maharashtra state reports record spike in COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in India with the number of new infections nearing all-time high on Sunday, largely driven by infections in Maharashtra, home to the country's financial capital Mumbai.

The country reported 93,249 new cases in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, according to data from the federal Health Ministry. Maharashtra accounted for more than half of that with a record 49,447 new cases.

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