Are Strict Measures In Mumbai/Maharashtra Imminent? CM Uddhav To Address People

Mumbai: It seems time has come for the Maharashtra government to take some drastic steps to check the worrying spike in COVID-positive cases in the state, especially capital Mumbai.

While Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar spoke of the necessity for “strict measures”, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will be addressing the people of Maharashtra at 8.30 pm on Friday, shortly after chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials over the deteriorating COVID situation in the state.

“We had been appealing to people since last March but they are showing carelessness. Nobody wants lockdown, but keeping in mind the manner in which cases are rising and creating pressure on the health infrastructure, some strict measures will have to be taken,” said Pednekar.

She said that religious places might be shut completely as “people do not listen”, and restaurants could be asked to operate at 50 per cent of seating capacity.

“Train journey might be restricted to essential services staff only as in the past,” the Mayor told newspersons, adding that theatres and malls may also be shut.

Mumbai reported 8,646 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest single day caseload since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.

CM Uddhav’s wife Rashmi Thackeray tested COVID positive on March 23, 12 days after taking the first dose of the vaccine. After a week’s home quarantine, she was shifted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital & Research Centre on Tuesday night.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, too, was admitted to hospital on Friday as a precautionary measure, six days after testing positive for the virus.