Maharashtra extends lockdown till July 31 day after urging caution

On Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that there would no lifting of the prevailing lockdown 5.0, which ends on June 30, even though the authorities are looking at easing of more restrictions in a calibrated manner.

Maharashtra government issued a notification on Monday extending the ongoing lockdown by one more month till July 31 in a bid to prevent the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

An overview of Sector-11 Juhugaon, one of the containment zone among 44 zones in Navi Mumbai. (HT Photo)

On Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that there would no lifting of the prevailing lockdown 5.0, which ends on June 30, even though the authorities are looking at easing of more restrictions in a calibrated manner.

State chief secretary Ajoy Mehta issued the notification for lockdown 6:0 as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

The state government continues to demarcate areas as Red and non-red zones of the basis of the extent of the viral outbreak.

Areas under the jurisdictions of 19 civic authorities, including nine municipal corporations that comprise the densely-populated Mumbai Metropolitan Corporation (MMR), are under the Red zones, where stricter lockdown restrictions are in place till July 31.

Maharashtra has 27 municipal corporations that govern the state’s urban areas.

The CM had announced on Sunday that further relaxations would be rolled out under the Mission Begin Again campaign that was rolled out on June 3 to restore partial normalcy, despite the pandemic.

The notification has said that the relaxations would be announced in the due course. “The relaxations will be given by issuing separate notifications on the lines of the earlier phases,” said a state government official, requesting anonymity.

Permitted non-essential activities such as shopping and physical activities like jogging, running, cycling will be allowed only in neighbourhood areas.

Shopping malls, theatres, multiplexes, schools, colleges, gymnasiums, and swimming pools will continue to remain shut across the state.

The essential services have been allowed across the state.

While non-essential services are allowed with certain restrictions in the red zones.

Non-essential and intra-district public transportation services have been allowed in non-red zones.

Relaxations have been announced to attend offices, where the employees have to comply with strict social distancing and other lockdown norms.

Government and private offices are allowed to operate at 15% and 10% of their workforce, respectively.