Maharashtra to enforce night curfew from Sunday, malls to shut at 8 pm
The curfew order doesn't put restrictions on movement at night but prohibits gathering in public places.
FollowMumbai: Maharashtra will enforce a night curfew from Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office said, as the state struggles with its biggest surge in coronavirus infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
Also, local authorities should ensure that shopping malls remain shut between 8 pm and 7 am, Thackeray ordered after a meeting here.
While the statement in English used the word "curfew", an official statement in Hindi said the chief minister asked officials to impose section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure under, which gathering of five or more persons is banned, according to a PTI report.
The CM also warned of stricter restrictions if people did not observe Covid-19 safety protocol, an official release said.
He said that district chiefs will decide when to order lockdowns but said that there will not be any sudden state-wide lockdown and the public will be given advance notice.
"I do not wish to impose lockdown. But there seems a possibility of healthcare facilities falling short given the rise in the number of coronavirus patients," Thackeray was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.
People need to understand that the Covid-19 threat is not over but has grown bigger, the CM added.
Maharashtra recorded 36,902 coronavirus infections on Friday, the highest one-day rise since the pandemic began, along with 112 deaths. The state has added over 1.3 lakh cases in five days. Mumbai also surpassed its record of 5,504 cases from yesterday with 5,513 new infections and nine deaths.
