COVID-19 cases have been increasing sharply in Maharashtra since the middle of February. Maharashtra reported 2,500 cases of COVID-19 in early February. But the new cases of COVID-19 reached 14,317 on March 11. There are 22.66 lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra. As of now, more than 21.06 lakh patients have recovered and more than 52,600 patients have died due to corona.

Mumbai reported around 300 cases of COVID-19 in the initial weeks of February. But the cases reached 1,400 in 24 hours on March 10. At present, there are more than 11,950 active cases of corona in Mumbai.

Many other cities have also recorded a sustained increase in COVID-19 cases since mid-February including Amravati, Nagpur, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nashik, Aurangabad, Thane, Navi Kalyan-Dombivli, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim, and Buldhana.

Maharashtra imposed partial lockdown in some districts

After the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government has imposed lockdowns in some parts of the state to curb the spread of a worsening Covid-19 outbreak.

In Aurangabad district, state minister Eknath Shinde announced a night curfew from 9 PM to 6 AM. The night curfew will be implemented from March 11 to April 4. There will be a complete lockdown on weekends under which shopping malls, supermarkets, shops, and theatres will remain closed.

In the Jalgaon district, authorities have recently imposed a “Janata curfew” from 8 PM on March 12 to 8 AM on March 15.

In Nagpur, the guardian minister Nitin Raut had imposed a strict lockdown till March 21.

The Thane Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharm has also announced lockdown from March 9 to March 31 in 16 hotspots in Thane city.

Kalyan-Dombivli and Nandurba districts have also imposed a night curfew

In Nashik, authorities have announced a night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am.

Maharashtra government hints at lockdown in Mumbai

On Thursday, the Maharashtra government said that it would impose some kind of restrictions in Mumbai if the COVID-19 cases increase continuously. It will make the decision on possible restrictions in the next few days.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray – in a televised address on March 11 – said citizens can help in avoiding another lockdown if they follow all the safety measures meant to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. He has ordered all officers to be vigilant and take a decision on imposing a complete lockdown in areas if people do not follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

CM Uddhav Thackeray took to Twitter and wrote “Now, my question to you is, should we impose a lockdown? I will seek this answer from you in the coming eight days. Those who do not want a lockdown will observe protocols like using masks, washing hands, and keeping physical distance.”

In February, Uddhav Thackeray announced a ban on political, social, and religious events. He has also launched a campaign ‘My Family, My Responsibility.’

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal told CNBC-TV18 that he is very worried about the rates of positive COVID-19 cases which had increased to 7.5 per 100 tests. BMC collected Rs 40 crore from over 20 lakh people for not wearing a mask in Mumbai.

Iqbal Singh Chahal said that BMC has imposed restrictions on wedding ceremonies, cinema halls, and restaurants and things are under control. There is no need for additional restrictions if people follow COVID-19 guidelines. However, they can enforce restrictions if the rate of positive test results goes beyond 15 percent.