Janta curfew begins in Jalgaon from today, emergency services exempted

A similar measure was implemented in Latur, which saw curbs in the form of Janta curfew over the weekend last month. The district officials in Latur said that it received a good response from the public.

Maharashtra's Jalgaon will be under 'Janta curfew' from Thursday. The strict measure was announced by district authorities after a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in Jalgaon.

Outstation passengers undergo Covid-19 tests on their arrival at Thane railway station, as Maharashtra sees renewed spike in coronavirus cases, in Thane. (HT File Photo)

The curfew will begin at 8pm today, and continue till 8am on March 15.

Announcing the strict measure on Tuesday, Abhijit Raut, the Jalgaon district collector, said in his order, “Enforcement of this order will be the responsibility of Municipal Corporation and local police. Violators will be liable for action under the Epidemic Act and other relevant sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code).”

The order clarified that emergency services, Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and other departments' examinations which are scheduled to be held have been exempted.

This has been announced in the wake of a surge in the number of daily Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country, and Jalgaon, one of the badly hit districts in the state.

A similar measure was implemented in Latur, which saw curbs in the form of Janta curfew over the weekend last month. The district officials in Latur said that it received a good response from the public.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 13,659 new cases of the coronavirus disease, the highest one-day spike this year, which took the state's caseload to 22,52,057, according to health department bulletin.

With 54 fatalities, the death toll stood at 52,610, the bulletin further said.

The badly affected cities are Mumbai, which reported 1,539 cases, Pune which saw 1,384 new cases, and Nagpur where 1,513 people were found infected.

The state government on Wednesday came out with guidelines for the celebration of the Mahashivratri festival on Thursday. The guidelines said that not more than 50 persons should be present in a temple at a time. The state government has also asked temple managements to ensure that the premises are disinfected and Covid-19 safety protocol, including social distancing and use of masks, is followed.