Maharashtra today ordered tougher measures to fight Covid, saying groceries, vegetable shops and dairies will be open only for four hours and home delivery will not be allowed after 8 pm.
All groceries, vegetable shops, dairies, bakeries, fruit vendors will be open only between 7 am and 11am, according to a new state order. This goes for bakeries, confectionaries and all shops selling food (including chicken, mutton, poultry, fish and eggs). These shops were open until 8 pm, but now only have a four-hour window.
Home deliveries might be permitted from 7 am to 8 pm, depending on local authorities, according to the order
The decision was taken after a meeting of the Maharashtra government yesterday. It was discussed that peoples were going out in the name of buying groceries through the day, crowding market places.
Maharashtra is the worst-affected state in the deadly second wave of infections in the country and is among the 10 states that account for close to 78 per cent of the new Covid cases reported in a day.
The state recorded its most higher number of Covid cases in a day – 68,631 – on Sunday.
Recently, the number dipped to 58,924 fresh cases and 351 passings in 24 hours.
The state government had implemented 15-day “lockdown-like” limitations from April 14 to slow the spread of the coronavirus, aside from weekend lockdowns.
The restrictions included a ban on gatherings and only essential activities.
