Maharashtra govt extends COVID-19 lockdown restrictions till January 31

Photo used for representational purpose

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced an extension of lockdown restrictions in the state till January 31 next year, to prevent the spread of COVID-19

In its order, the state government said that the phase-wise opening of activities in Maharashtra will "remain in force till 31 January, 2021 for containment of COVID- I 9 epidemic in the state and all departments of the government of Maharashtra shall strictly implement these guidelines."

The activities, which are already allowed and permitted from time to time, shall be continued and all earlier orders shall be aligned with this order and shall remain in force up to the end of January next year, the state government stated.

Maharashtra is one of the five states and UTs that account for 60 per cent of total active COVID-19 cases in India.

On Tuesday, Mumbai recorded 537 cases, a little less than the previous day, while infections across Maharashtra went up by 500. The state reported 3,018 cases and 68 people died of coronavirus. Across the state, 5,562 patients recovered and were discharged during the 24-hour period.

In Mumbai, six patients lost the fight against the contagious disease. All of them had comorbidities or other health complications. The victims were above 60 years of age, said BMC's health officials.

The cumulative number of cases in the state so far stand at 19.25 lakh, while the recovery rate of Maharashtra is at 94.5 per cent.