Maharashtra’s new COVID-19 guidelines: All your questions answered

Maharashtra's new COVID-19 guidelines: The new rules will come into force from 8 pm on April 5 will remain in force till 11.59 pm on April 30.

Moneycontrol News
April 05, 2021 / 11:46 AM IST

File image: Commuters walk on a railway platform after disembarking from a local train amid the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai, India on February 9, 2021. (Image: Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas)


The Maharashtra government on April 4 announced new restrictions under its ‘Break the Chain’ campaign to curb the spread of novel coronavirus infections. The announcement came after the state Cabinet’s virtual meeting on a day Maharashtra reported more than 57,000 new COVID-19 cases from the previous 24-hour period.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the ongoing vaccination campaign and the second wave of COVID-19 cases the country is currently witnessing.

On April 5, India reported 1.03 lakh new COVID-19 cases – a new record high. The earlier record was around 97,000 cases reported on September 17, 2020. This effectively meant that the COVID-19 situation in the country was now worse than ever before.

Click here for Moneycontrol’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

India’s COVID-19 tally stood at 1.25 crore on April 5. This included 1.16 lakh patients who had recovered, 7.41 lakh ‘active’ cases and 1.65 lakh deaths.

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COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

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How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Maharashtra – the worst affected state in India due to the pandemic – has itself reported more than 30 lakh cases so far. While over 25 lakh people had recovered, the state’s death toll stood at around 55,800.

For weeks, the state government sent out warnings stating that a lockdown would become necessary to battle the second wave if people do not abide by safety norms such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.

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The new rules will come into force from 8 pm on April 5 will remain in force till 11.59 pm on April 30. The state government may extend implementation of these guidelines further if necessary.

What are the night curfew rules?

Section 144 has been imposed across the entire state from April 5.
According to the new rules, no more than five persons can move together or gather in public places between 7 am and 8 pm from Monday to Friday.

Between 8 pm and 7 am, no individual will be allowed to move in public places without valid reason or without permission. Medical and essential services staff will be exempted from these norms.

What comprises essential services?

Hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, medical insurance offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, other media and health services are being considered as essential services. Other essential services include groceries, vegetable and fruit shops, dairies, bakeries, confectionery and food shops. Public transport including trains, taxis, autos and public buses will remain available. Services related to functioning of offices of diplomats of various countries, pre-monsoon activities by local authorities, all public services by local authorities, transportation of goods, agriculture-related services, e-commerce, accredited media and services designated as essential by local disaster management authority will also be allowed.

Am I allowed to step outdoors?

All beaches/gardens/public grounds will remain closed from 8 pm to 7 am on weekdays, and from 8 pm on Fridays to 7 am on Mondays. People are expected to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour strictly between 7 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday.

What about shops, malls and markets?

All shops, markets and malls will remain closed throughout the day except for essential services.

What about public transport? Can I still take the local train or a bus?

All public transport services in Maharashtra will remain fully operational with some restrictions.

Auto: Rickshaw Driver + Two passengers only

Taxi (4 wheelers): Driver + 50 percent vehicle capacity as per RTO

Bus: Full seating occupancy as per RTO passing.

However, no standing passengers will be allowed. All vehicles are to be sanitised after every trip.

Fines and penalties for non-compliance: All persons using public transport will have to wear a mask properly. A fine of Rs 500 will be imposed on offenders. In a four-wheeler taxi, if any one person is not wearing mask, the offender and the driver of the taxi will be fined an amount of Rs 500 each, according to the new rules.

Will restaurants remain open? Can I eat out or get a takeaway?

All restaurants and bars will remain closed, except for those inside the premises of and are integral parts of hotels.

Weekdays: However, take away orders, parcels and home delivery services will be allowed for all restaurants between 7.00 am and 8.00 pm from Monday to Friday.

Weekends: Home delivery services shall be allowed between 7 am to 8 pm and people will not be allowed to visit any restaurant or bar for ordering purposes or pickups. Restaurants and bars inside hotels will be open only for in-house guests. In no circumstance should outside guests be allowed.