Maharashtra likely to suspend flights, trains from Delhi amid spike in COVID-19 cases

Due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the Maharashtra government is planning to suspend flights, and possibly trains, coming from Delhi to Mumbai. Although the news awaits an official confirmation, reports from the Uddhav Thackerey-led government say a formal order will be issued soon.

The national capital has witnessed a sudden spike in cases, most of which are attributed to the festival season. The city recorded a record of 5,000 cases on October 28 and crossed the 8,000 cases mark on November 11. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, has requested Delhiites to not venture out for the next festival of Chhat Pooja, while the fine for not wearing masks in public has also been increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 500.

The current predicament of Delhi has also garnered the attention of the Health Ministry, which said the spike in daily new Covid-19 cases and fatalities in Delhi are having a spillover effect in the NCR regions of Haryana and Rajasthan, where the number of coronavirus positive patients is also on the rise.

In another related news, IRCTC on November 18, decided to cancel the operations for the Tejas Express train from Lucknow to Delhi, as well as Mumbai to Ahmedabad. The train from Lucknow will remain cancelled from November 23, while the latter service will shut on November 24.

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