E-Paper
Covid-19: Uddhav Thackeray orders sealing of Maharashtra’s borders
Uddhav Thackeray ordered the sealing of borders of all districts and invoked prohibitory orders across the sate.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday announced a slew of measures including statewide prohibitory orders to fight coronavirus and warned that the pandemic “may go out of hand” if it is not stopped now.
“We are in a decisive stage of coronavirus outbreak. It can be turning point. If we don’t stop it now, the situation may go out of hand,” he said in an address to the people,.
Restrictions imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be enforced more strictly in what Thackeray termed it as ‘curfew’. Thackeray said that not more than 4-5 people and cars with more than two people would be allowed on the streets.
The state government has also sealed the borders of the cities and districts and has demanded the inter state flight services be discontinued with immediate effect. Thackeray, after a high level meeting with the ministers, addressed to the people of the state through Facebook Live. He said that the people need to be ready to face this with restraint as very crucial stage of the pandemic has begun.
Follow coronavirus live updates here.
“Despite the lockdown announced in the state, we experienced many people coming on roads and travelling through highways. Observing the janta curfew for a day does not end our responsibility, in fact it is siren call for the war we have to fight. We have now decided to impose curfew across the state. Nobody will be allowed to venture out of their homes unless it is an emergency. No more than 4-5 people will be allowed on the roads,” he said.
Thackeray said that the decision of the sealing of the borders has been taken to contain the spread of the virus. “There are districts and cities that still out if the spread of the virus. We do not want to the unaffected areas get infected. We already have sealed the interstate borders,” he said.
The chief minister also said that all places of worship will be shut and only priests would be allowed to enter them.
The CM said that the public and private buses will not be allowed to ply, while taxis and private cars will be allowed to carry only 2 persons other than the driver. Autorickshaws will be allowed to carry only one passenger.
“Police have been directed to not allowed anybody on the streets unless it is emergency. They have been given powers to take action against such miscreants,” a top bureaucrat said.
Thackeray clarified that establishments engaged in essential and emergency services will be allowed to operate. Besides police, doctors, manufacturing units of the drugs, grocery shops and the companies and establishments dealing with the agricultural activities will be allowed to operate.
“I have written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discontinue the air services between states amd cities to contain the spread of virus. We have also decided to shut down all religious places with the permissions only to the priests taking care of the shrine,” he said.
Coincidentally, almost around the same time, the Centre ordered suspension of all domestic flight services beginning Tuesday midnight in a bid to move towards a complete lockdown prompted by the fast-spreading, deadly Covid-19 that has killed at least seven and infected 415 people in India.
Rajesh Tope, the state’s health minister said the total number of coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra has climbed to 89. Fourteen of the them are from Mumbai.
