Agencies
Mumbai, March 26:
Maharashtra will impose a night curfew from Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office said, as the state struggles with its biggest surge in coronavirus infections since the beginning of the pandemic. Shopping malls will be closed from 8 pm to 7 am, the order said.
Mr Thackeray warned of stricter restrictions if the people did not follow COVID-19 safety rules. He said that district chiefs will decide when to order lockdowns but said that there will not be any sudden state-wide lockdown and the public will be given advance notice.
“I do not wish to impose lockdown. But there seems a possibility of healthcare facilities falling short given the rise in number of coronavirus patients,” Mr Thackeray was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.
He asked officials to ensure availability of adequate hospital beds and medicines, the statement said.
Maharashtra recorded 35,952 coronavirus infections on Thursday, the highest one-day rise since the pandemic began. The state has added over one lakh cases in four days.
