Coronavirus: Maharashtra lockdown decision soon; state board exams postponed
As the COVID-19 situation worsens in Maharashtra, the state government is expected to announce a 15-day lockdown after Thursday. On Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a series of meetings to address the issue. Meanwhile, the state government on Monday postponed the Class X and XII state board examinations, which were scheduled to be held later this month. Here are more details.
Maharashtra likely to announce 15-day lockdown after Ambedkar Jayanti
According to Times Now, Maharashtra is likely to announce a 15-day lockdown after Gudi Padwa (Tuesday) or Ambedkar Jayanti (Wednesday). On Sunday, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said that a decision on the same will be announced after Wednesday. Thackeray attended meetings with government officials, task forces, traders body, and others regarding a lockdown on Monday.
New guidelines to be ready by tomorrow
Sources told CNN-News18 that a lockdown is imminent and a team of top officers has been tasked with drawing up the contours of the new guidelines (likely to be ready by Tuesday). Sources said Thackeray favored an eight-day lockdown, but medical experts pushed for a 14-day lockdown. A Cabinet meeting is likely to be held by Wednesday, Tope said.
State board exams postponed; dates to be announced soon
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said, "We have postponed state board exams for Classes X and XII. Class XII exams will be held by the end of May, while Class X exams will be held in June. Fresh dates will be announced accordingly." Gaikwad said, "We will also write to the CBSE, ICSE, IB, and Cambridge boards requesting them to reconsider their dates."
How bad is the outbreak in Maharashtra?
On Sunday, Maharashtra reported a record single-day spike of 63,294 new cases and 349 fresh fatalities. A record 2,63,137 tests were conducted on the day. The state's total tally has risen to 34,07,245, which includes 57,987 deaths and 27,82,161 recoveries. The Mumbai division reported 19,953 new cases (9,986 in Mumbai city), while the Pune division added 14,653 cases (6,923 in Pune city).
