In an extreme measure to check the alarming spread of COVID-19, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday ordered lockdown in entire Maharashtra till March 31 and sealing of all State borders and 25 coronavirus-free district borders, even as the pandemic claimed one more life and the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cas es shot up to 89 in the State.
An overnight after the Maharashtra Government extended the Prime Minister-called “Janata Curfew” from 9 pm till 5 am, the Chief Minister announced a slew of measures under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, including lockdown in the entire State, sealing of all State borders and 25 coronavirs-free district borders and penal action against those who are not complying with “home quarantine”.
“As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, we have sealed the various borders of Maharashtra. We have also the collectors of 25 coronavirus-free districts to issue orders prohibiting any vehicular movements into their districts. The movement of essential and perishable commodities have been spared from the lockdown of State borders, the district border sealing orders do not apply to medical emergencies,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Coronavirus toll in the State rose to three as a 68-year old Philippine citizen man, who initially tested positive and later tested negative after apparently after some recovery, died at a private hospital late on Sunday night.
The patient had been admitted to the Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai ten days ago and post-recovery when he tested negative, moved to a private hospital where he succumbed late on Sunday. “The patient was a case of diabetes mellitus and asthma. He was admitted on March 13. He had developed acute renal failure and respiratory distress,” a statement issued by the public health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
After the latest death, the total number coronavirus-related deaths rose to three. Earlier, a 63-year-old disease-infected had died at the Kasurba Hospital on March 17, while another 63-year-old male patient, who had been admitted to private hospital in Mumbai on March 19.
With 15 more fresh cases, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state jumped to 79 on Monday. “Of the 15 fresh cases, 14 are from Mumbai and one case is from Pune. The fresh cases include 8 close contacts or family members of earlier positive cases and 4 with travel history to affected countries,” State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
Of the total infected cases in the state, Mumbai accounted for a maximum of 38 cases, while Pune and Pimpri-chinchwad cities reported 16 and 12 cases respectively. Nagpur, Yavatmal, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai recorded four infected cases each, while Ahmednagar district accounted for two cases. Panvel, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Aurangabad and Ratnagiri registered one confirmed coronavirus case each. The State Health Minister said that the state stood on the threshold of a 'multiplication stage' of the virus and emphasized the need for people to maintain ‘social distancing’.
"This is the stage to exercise extreme precautions since we don't want to enter from Phase II to Phase III at any cost," Tope said, as he appealed to people to stay indoors as such a measure would help check the spread of COVID-19.
After 22-hour-long curfew, including the 14-hour-long “Janata Curfew” called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people ventured out of their homes in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Monday to purchase essential commodities and drugs. Though there were reasonably large crowds around grocery and medical stops, the police chose not to enforce section 144 of CrPc banning five or more persons understandably to help the harried citizens.
Addressing the people across the state live through social media, Uddhav said: “Essential commodities, drugs. Drug manufacturing companies, agricultural goods and products, banks/ATMSe related activities, print and electronic media, IT, telecom, postal, internet and data services, supply chain and transport of essential commodities have been spared from the lockdown,” the Chief Minister said.
Under the lockdown notification issued by the Maharashtra later in the evening, all public transport services including inter-city MSRTC buses and Metro rail will not be permitted.
Significantly enough, taxies with not more than two persons besides drivers, autorickshaws with not more than one passenger besides driver are permitted only for purposes specified in the notification. “However, transport of passengers for accessing emergency medical services shall be permitted. Plying of private vehicles shall be restricted to the extent of procuring essential commodities, health services and activities permitted under the order and with only one person besides the driver.
In a restriction that stipulates a penal against those not complying with “home quarantine”, the relevant portion of the notification read thus: “Every person who is required to home quarantine shall strictly observe the same failing which he/she will be liable for penal action and shifted to Government quarantine”.
Under the lockdown order, any congregation of more than five persons is prohibited in public places. “All shops, including commercial establishments, offices and factories, workshops, godowns etc shall close their operation. However, manufacturing units engaged in production of essential commodities like dal, rice mill, related units, dairy units, feed and fodder units, will be permitted to operate,” the order stated.
The coronavirus free districts where borders have been ordered to be sealed are: Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Buldhana, Amravati, Akola, Washim, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Beed, Jalna, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Latur, Nanded and Sindhudurg.
According to the lockdown order, the Government offices, ships and establishments permitted to operate with barest minimum staff and shall take steps to ensure social distancing such as a painting foot marks at a distances of three feet from each other near checkout counters.
Among other activities that have been exempted from the lock down are: Hospitals, pharmacies, optical stories, pharmaceutical manufacturing & their dealers and their transport operators, petrol pumps, LPG gas, oil agencies, their godowns & related transport operators, all security and facility management services, including those provided by private agencies to institutions providing essential commodities.
“All religious places of any denomination shall be closed by issuing suitable orders. .. All elective surgeries shall be re-scheduled in all private and government hospitals to enhance availability of health care facilities for Covid-19 patients,” the lockdown order stated.