Maharashtra: Traders wait for respite following COVID-19 curbs
Merchants' and traders' associations in Aurangabad District are in "wait and watch" mode, following the announcement of a fresh set of curbs issued by the Maharashtra-government'>Maharashtra Government to control the COVID-19 spread. As per the guidelines issued, shops that don't sell essential commodities will have to remain shut till April 30. Here are more details.
Merchants met minister and collector in Aurangabad
Merchants and representatives from the cloth, automobile, and vehicle dealerships met Minister of State for Revenue Abdul Sattar and collector Sunil Chavan on Monday night. "We want the coronavirus spread to come under control and are willing to cooperate for it, but the economy should also run," said Jagannath Kale, the President of the Aurangabad District Vyapari Mahasangh.
Non-essential shops should be permitted to operate with restrictions: Kale
Kale said that shops that don't come under the definition of essentials should be permitted to operate with some restrictions. According to the new COVID-19 protocols, hospitals, medicals stores, shops selling vegetables, groceries, dairies, and bakeries have been permitted to operate.
Timings for these shops can be curtailed: Kale
"We have no problem if the timings for these shops are shortened," Kale said, adding that the merchants and traders are in "wait and watch" mode and expect some relief from the government. "We have started acting on the guidelines by getting RT-PCR tests done for employees of shops and getting those above the age of 45 inoculated," Kale added.
Aurangabad has recorded 89,929 COVID-19 cases, 1,814 COVID-19 deaths
"As many as 1,440 fresh cases of coronavirus were detected in Aurangabad, while 26 patients died of the infection on Monday. With this, the district's COVID-19 tally has reached 89,929 and the death toll stood at 1,814," an official said. "At least 72,876 patients have recovered from the infection so far, leaving Aurangabad with 15,239 active cases," the official added.
Maharashtra recorded 47,288 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday
Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state in India continued to report a high surge in COVID-19 cases. On Monday, the state recorded 47,288 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 30,57,885 COVID-19 cases. On Monday, 1,75,682 tests were done. So far, the state has reported 25,49,075 recoveries and 56,033 deaths. At 26.9 percent, the state continued to record a high daily positivity rate.
Maharashtra CM is targeting 2.5 lakh daily tests
Earlier this month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he cannot rule out the possibility of a state-wide lockdown. He has set a target of 2.5 lakh COVID-19 tests daily, adding that over 1.8 lakh people are being tested across Maharashtra every day.
Night curfew has been imposed in the state
The night curfew which was earlier imposed by the State Government continues to remain in effect. All public gatherings are banned during the night curfew. Government offices are functioning at 50 percent capacity. Political rallies are banned. Public transport is running at 50 percent capacity. Housing societies with five or more COVID-19 positive cases are being declared as a containment zone.
Strict lockdown during weekends, only essential services are allowed
Owing to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the state government imposed new COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday. Maharashtra will witness a strict lockdown during the weekends. Only essential services are allowed to operate during the weekend lockdown. On weekdays, shopping malls, bars, restaurants, etc will only remain open for takeaway parcels. Section 144 is imposed on gatherings of five or more people during the day.
Non-compliance with rules will attract fine
All public places— including social, cultural, political, and religious gatherings are banned. Non-compliance to the guidelines will attract a fine of Rs. 1,000. The State Government has also penalized not wearing masks with a fine of Rs. 500.
