Coronavirus Lockdown Update: 75 Districts Shut Across India, Mumbai-Pune Expressway And Mumbai Local Trains Closed

The State and Central governments are enhancing the lockdown to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak across India, a day after the day-long Janata Curfew shutdown. While the Centre has announced that as many as 75 districts across the country will remain shut till March 31, the Maharashtra government has shut down the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai local train network. This comes just a day after all major carmakers announced that they will be shutting car production at their plants until March 31.

With a sharp rise in cases in Mumbai as well as across the state, the Maharashtra government is taking further steps to clamp down on movement within the state. This includes shutting the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the primary connection between its two major cities. And to much surprise, even the ever-crowded lifeline of Mumbai, its local train network, is being shut.

 

According to a report, the Railway Board decided to suspend suburban rail services as well as other passenger trains to limit movement of people and contain the outbreak. This is the first time since 1974 that the suburban train services have been stopped in Mumbai. Meanwhile, the twitter handle of the Pune Commissioner of Police (@CPPuneCity) has announced that vehicular movement will be completely stopped across the city starting Monday evening.

In addition, Maharashtra police has invoked section 144 of the CrPC in Mumbai, Pune, and Thane starting this morning till March 31. This section pertains to illegal assembly of five or more people. This means no events, religious gatherings, festivals and other group activities can be conducted in any of these cities.

This prohibition is also applicable to malls, eateries, restaurants, pubs, theatres, educational institutes and gyms. With the total number of COVID-19 cases across the country going up to 341 as of Sunday, the cases in Maharashtra also went up to 89, a rise of 15 here.

Earlier, the chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, had announced that all workplaces in Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Nagpur will remain shut till March 31. Only 25 per cent of employees in government offices would be working to continue functioning of the state machinery.

In addition, private buses and ST buses are also being shut for this duration. City bus services are functional but only to transport employees in the essential services sector. However, there is no need to panic as the state government has also announced that shops selling food grains, vegetables and medicines will remain open through the lockdown, as will banks and financial institutions.

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The outbreak has claimed around 13,000 lives worldwide since it began spreading earlier this year in Wuhan, China. Cases in India have been rising of late and the government had also announced a one-day national lockdown for Sunday. Now, more and more states have begun locking down major cities and services such as trains and major highways to prevent movement and the spread of the virus.

We urge our readers to stay safe, stay indoors and limit their own movement, unless absolutely necessary. ZigWheels has also made a selection of great reads, movies, as well as our own videos to help you keep your social isolation blues at bay.