21 December,2020 06:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic
The Maharashtra government on Monday announced a night curfew in municipal corporation areas from 11 pm to 6 am from December 22 to January 5 as a precautionary measure amid mounting fears about a new coronavirus variant spreading in Britain.
According to an official statement here, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting in the light of the situation in the UK.
The statement said it has also been decided to put in institutional quarantine for 14 days those who arrive at the state's airports from European and West Asian countries.
Also Read: Maharashtra announces night curfew from December 22 to January 5 amid COVID-19
Passengers coming to Maharashtra, the state worst-hit by COVID-19, from other countries will be home quarantined, it added.
Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, addressing a press conference on Monday, said, "There is a difference between a night curfew and a lockdown. While in a lockdown, individuals cannot step out of their homes. In a curfew, more than 5 people cannot assemble outside during the specified hours. Offices functioning overnight or something like dairy transportation can still operate. Taxis and autorickshaws will run just like before."
"Due to night curfew imposed by the state government from December 22 to January 5, shops will not be open till late hours," said Viren Shah, president ,Federation of Retail Traders welfare Association (FRTWA).
Earlier in the day, the Union government had banned flights from the UK till December 31 over a new fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus in that country. The ban will start from Wednesday and all passengers arriving from the UK before then will be tested on arrival at airports.
Also Read: Health Ministry to meet over mutant COVID-19 strain in UK
On Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray had said that wearing masks will be mandatory for the next six months in Maharashtra. Addressing the state on social media, Thackeray said that experts are in favour of imposing a night curfew or another lockdown, but he is not in favour of these steps.
The daily number of coronavirus cases dropped slightly both in Mumbai and Maharashtra, compared to the past two days. The health officials on Sunday confirmed 3,811 more infections across the state, including 586 in the city.
However, the deaths due to respiratory disease rose in the state on Sunday. Over the past two days, the officials reported between 70 and 80 deaths, whereas on Sunday they confirmed 98 deaths. Overall 48,746 people have lost their lives to COVID-19 across the state, including 10,996 in the city.
Aurangabad Municipal Corporation recorded the highest fatalities on Sunday at 23, followed by Mumbai with 16 deaths. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including Mumbai, recorded a total of 32 deaths. Seven of them were from Ulhasnagar.
The BMC, however, said there was a discrepancy in state's Sunday toll. According to the civic body's report, it recorded only 11 deaths on Sunday, and 11 suffered from other ailments and nine were senior citizens.
In the MMR, Thane Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli Corporation recorded 97, 88 and 106 cases, respectively.
The state's recovery rate now stands at 94.06 per cent and Mumbai's recovery rate is at 93 per cent.
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