Maharashtra stares at another lockdown as Covid-19 cases rise

With Maharashtra accounting for majority of Covid-19 cases in the country, many cities in the state are staring at the probability of a lockdown, either complete or partial.

Maharashtra had its highest ever Covid-19 cases in a day on Thursday with 35,952 cases and 95 deaths. The state has been witnessing a surge of over 30,000 cases a day for the past few days. Maharashtra accounts for over 62 per cent of all new cases in India. Nine out of 10 districts in the country with maximum infections are currently in Maharashtra. Health experts say that at the current pace, total infections in the state could cross 3 lakh by the first few weeks of April, considering the holidays and Holi celebrations this week.

Already, many districts and cities have announced partial lockdowns. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday had announced a lockdown in the Beed and Nanded districts of the Marathwada region from March 26 till April 4. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has banned Holi celebrations this year. Infections are climbing at a fast pace in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Palghar, Nagpur, Aurangabad etc.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, who had indicated possible lockdowns as the final options last week, has convened a meeting of all district collectors today to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.

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