The Maharashtra government has decided to extend the lockdown in the coronavirus hotspot areas like Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Aurangabad and Solapur until May 31.
However, an official decision is awaited, sources told News18. Once the formal decision is made, the state government will send a report to the Centre.
The possibility of extending the lockdown was discussed in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The state has reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country.
A senior minister said it was unanimously agreed upon that the lockdown has to be extended in certain parts of the state, especially in red zones such as the Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions, Malegaon and Solapur.
"In the rest of the state, the guidelines of the Centre will be implemented when they are announced before the lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17," a state government official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, had said a fourth phase of the lockdown will be implemented after May 17, but the rules for it will be very different with many more relaxations likely.
Maharashtra had on Thursday reported 1,602 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike so far, taking the state’s overall count to 27,524, according to state health department data.
With 44 deaths registered in last 24 hours, the death toll in Maharashtra due to the contagious coronavirus disease has now breached the 1000-mark and stands at 1,019.
Of the 44 deaths recorded in Maharashtra, 25 COVID-19 patients succumbed to the infection in the financial capital Mumbai, 10 in Navi Mumbai, five in Pune, two in Aurangabad and one person each died in Panvel and Kalyan.
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