23 March,2020 05:55 PM IST | | Agencies
Maharashtra chief minster Uddhav Thackeray
In the toughest measure taken to fight the coronavirus outbreak so far, the Maharashtra government has imposed curfew in the state, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced here on Monday.
The move came a day after he declared a near-total statewide lockdown till March 31 and also implemented prohibitory orders till nagar panchayat levels to combat the spread of COVID-19 which has claimed four lives and infected another 89 in Maharashtra, the highest in India.
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"The coronavirus spread is at a crucial stage. If we don't take strong steps now, we may face a situation similar to other countries. We have been making repeated appeals, but they seem to have had no impact, so we are forced to implement curfew," Thackeray said in an address to the people of the state.
He also said that the government is sealing district borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the districts which are not affected by it. Maharashtra has 89 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
"Yesterday we sealed the state borders and today we are sealing district borders. We will not allow it to spread to the districts which are unaffected as of now," said Thackeray.
"Essentials like groceries, milk, bakery, medical, etc will remain open. People need not panic. All religious places will remain closed. Only the priests and clerics alone will be inside and pray. Today I am compelled to announce a statewide curfew. People were not listening and we are compelled," he added.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced a "full curfew" in the state "with no relaxations" in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Modi has asked state governments to ensure rules of lockdown are followed properly and called on citizens to take the issue seriously.
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