Chandigarh, April 13
Maharashtra government has decided to impose curfews across the state for the next 15 days, a development that comes as India’s richest state struggles to deal with spiraling COVID-19 cases.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced his government was ordering prohibition under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, but shied away from calling the new restrictions “lockdown”. Thackeray, who made the announcement through a Facebook live, has decided close down everything but essential and emergencies services. The restrictions will be imposed between 7 am and 8 pm.
Restrictions will come into effect from Wednesday. Only takeaway services for restaurants would be allowed in that time, he said.
These restrictions are in addition to an already existing night curfew announced earlier this month, and will stay in place until May 1.
Thackeray admitted at the start of his address that the state’s supply for oxygen for medical use was dwindling, and it was also seeing shortage of beds, and said he was going to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enlist the help of the Indian Air Force to help transport oxygen cylinders to places that need it in the state.
