Mumbai lockdown unlikely to be lifted on April 14, says Maharashtra health minister

Maharashtra government may not end the lockdown on April 14, when the nationwide restrictions announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to be lifted. State

Maharashtra government may not end the lockdown on April 14, when the nationwide restrictions announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to be lifted. State health minister Rajesh Tope said the government is likely to extend the lockdown by a couple of more weeks, especially in Mumbai and other urban areas of the state.

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“We are expecting a fall in positive Covid-19 cases by April 15, after an initial spike. We will have to extend the lockdown period by a few more weeks… Lifting it fully in a city like Mumbai is unlikely,” said Tope, adding that imposing restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus is a decision the state government can take.

“We had imposed a complete lockdown in Maharashtra two days before it was in announced across the country. Before that, too, we had imposed restriction in urban areas and shut down public places. Containing the spread [of coronavirus] in a city like Mumbai is a herculean task, and the decision to end the lockdown will have to be taken cautiously and after due deliberation. I personally feel it will have to be extended in Mumbai,” Tope said.

Modi, during his video conference with chief ministers of all states on Thursday, had hinted at lifting the lockdown in a staggered manner.

He reportedly asked the state government to prepare their plan and submit suggestions to the Centre on withdrawal of the lockdown. Seniors leaders in the state government, however, feel lifting restrictions immediately after completion of 21 days would jeopardise their efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Tope, meanwhile, said containment of the virus in Mumbai is a “big task”, but they are not leaving any stone unturned. “Our health workers, police and municipal corporation workers have been working on the cluster containment action plan, with 292 teams working on it in Mumbai. We have more than 800 employees working as part of these teams to trace suspected cases. The number of suspected cases has increased owing to the Tablighi Jamaat programme organised in Nizamuddin last month. But we are sure that we will be able to contain it,” he said.

The state government was mulling exempting auxiliary sectors, which support essential sectors in production, from the lockdown. A state government official, who did not want to be named, said manufacturing units engaged in the production of polythene or chemicals required for packaging of essential commodities are likely to be exempted from the lockdown. “The stock of material manufactured in these auxiliary sectors will last for the next eight days or so. As per the representation made to us by these sectors, they need to be exempted from the lockdown,” the official said.

Tope said the exemption of such sectors was necessary to ensure the smooth supply of essential goods.