Amid rising coronavirus cases, Maharashtra may extend lockdown till 30 April

MUMBAI : A day after Odisha decided to extend the lockdown till April 30, Maharashtra may follow suit.

According to the officials, lockdown may be extended in India's financial hub Mumbai, which has recorded the highest number of covid-19 cases across the state so far. In the areas, where number of affected people is not significantly high, the lockdown could be lifted partially.

"Due to a significant rise in the number of covid-19 cases, the Maharashtra government may consult with the centre on extending the lockdown period. A decision is likely by evening," a government official said.

To fight the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day nationwide lockdown on 24 March, which is officially set to end on 14 April.

With over 20 fresh cases reported on Friday, Maharashtra's total number of coronavirus cases have reached 1,385. Out of the total cases, over half are from Mumbai alone.

Mumbai's neighboring city Pune may extend the lockdown by another 10



days.

"We are hanging tight for additional requests from the administration on expanding the lockdown, however as I would like to think, we would require the whole city to stay under lockdown for at any rate 10 additional days after April 14, to viably control the spread of coronavirus," said Shekhar Gaikwad, Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). 

Pune has just fixed an aggregate of 30 sq km territory in the city and is wanting to seal six more ghetto zones.

"If not for the entire city, these areas, in which we have more than five covid-19 positive cases, should remain sealed for at least 15 more days after April 14. We are deploying extensive police force in the containment zones and nearly 400 teams of two people each are conducting door-to-door surveys, so we can admit the patients and quarantine the suspected cases timely," Gaikwad added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers of all states on Saturday via video. At the interaction, a call would be taken on whether the 21-day lockdown should be extended.