Maharashtra Residents Find Solace in Memes as State Announces New Restrictions to Curb Covid-19

Covid-19 cases are surging by the day in the country. India recorded an all-time high of 1,03,558 coronavirus infections in a day, pushing the nationwide Covid-19 tally to 1,25,89,067, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The single-day rise in cases surpassed the earlier peak of 97,894 infections reported on September 17 last year, making it the highest since the pandemic began in India, while the death toll increased to 1,65,101 with 478 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Amid this, Maharashtra has emerged as the worst-affected of them all, recording a staggering 57,700 cases on Sunday.

The Maharashtra Cabinet, which met on Monday amid an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases in both Mumbai and across the state to discuss the possibility of a lockdown, may have decided against it but the authorities have put severe restrictions in place that are similar to when the country came to a standstill last year when the pandemic broke.

Termed as ‘Break the Chain Restrictions’, these curbs will remain in place till April 30.

While the news may have given the residents flashbacks of the previous year, many netizens turned up on social media to find humour in the testing times. It was a matter of time that #MaharashtraLockdown began trending on the microblogging site Twitter.

Many others imagined the situation during the night curfew. According to the listed restrictions:

1) Section 144 to be imposed through the day and night curfew during the night.

2) More than five people can’t gather at one place between 7 am to 8 pm

3) One cannot leave their home without valid proper reason between 8 pm and 7 am

The state government has also directed that labourers who are suffering from Covid-19 cannot be sacked. The firm will have to pay them their full salary even during the sick leave period.