Maharashtra extends lockdown-like curbs till June 15
The Maharashtra government on Sunday extended the lockdown-like curbs till June 15 and also announced that relaxations will be granted depending upon the COVID-19 positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds. Borders of districts and corporations having more than 20 percent positivity rate and where over 75 percent of oxygen beds are occupied will be closed.
Rules for essential service establishments stand changed in some areas
The exceptions will be death from a family, medical reasons, and emergency services. In municipal corporations or regions of districts with less than 10 percent COVID-19 positivity rate and where the availability of occupied oxygen beds will be less than 40 percent, all the establishments/shops engaged in essential commodities and services can now remain open from 7 am to 2 pm, the government said.
Independent administrative units created based on the 2011 census
"Instead of implementing the 'Break the Chain' order uniformly in the state, the restrictions will now be relaxed or made more stringent till 7 am of June 15," the government said. As per the census of 2011, municipal corporations with a population of more than 10 lakh will be considered as the independent administrative unit for curbing the spread of COVID-19.
These places will be independent administrative units
Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Vasai Virar, Pune, PimpriChinchwad, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Nashik corporations will be treated as the administrative units. Barring the jurisdiction of these corporations, the rest of the part of the district will be counted as a separate administrative unit.
Non-essential shops can open in the other administrative unit
The decision for keeping open all the shops and establishments that do not fall in the essential category will be taken by the local disaster management authority (LDMA) but their timings will be at uniformity with those shops and establishment falling in the essential group, as per the order. Similarly, the shops will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Government offices can function with 25 percent of employees
Besides the offices that are working for the pandemic-related services, all other government offices can function with the attendance of 25 percent of employees. All the agricultural work and equipment-related shops will be open on the working days till 2 pm.
Daily COVID-19 case count in Maharashtra is declining: CM
Addressing the people of the state through social media, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the daily coronavirus case count in the state is on the decline, but these numbers are close to the last year's peak levels. He also said that he was taking a district-wise review of the coronavirus situation.
Maharashtra has recorded 57,31,815 COVID-19 cases till date
The Chief Minister said that curbs will be made stricter where the numbers are on the rise, while some relaxations will be given where the case count is on the decline. As of Sunday, Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases stood at 57,31,815 and the overall death toll at 94,844. The state has 2,71,801 active cases, as per the state health department.
