Maha & Telangana set to extend curbs, Manipur does it till July15

Maha & Telangana set to extend curbs, Manipur does it till July15

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

29.06.2020

Maharashtra is all set to extend the lockdown for a month while Telangana may do so for 15 more days with stricter norms in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation region even as the Manipur government announced on Sunday that restrictions will continue till July15.. The present lockdown in the three states, which have seen an exponential surge in Covid cases in the last few days, was scheduled to end on June 30.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray made it clear on Sunday that lockdown in the state will not be lifted post June 30, but more relaxations will be given to speed up economic activities. He said even if relaxations are being given, it does not mean that the danger or the crisis has ended. “We are walking on the edge, we have to walk slowly. Just because relaxations are being given, people shouldn’t think that the battle is over. It is not.”

Thackeray’s comments came on a day when Mumbai Police issued directives asking people not to venture out more than 2km from home unless it was for office or for essentials. Police said that all trips - whether for shopping or for exercising or visiting salons - should be made within a 2km-radius “else action will be initiated”. Nakabandis were conducted throughout the city on Sunday to enforce the new directives and nearly 7000 vehicles were impounded by police.

With Covid cases increasing by nearly a thousand every day in Telangana, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said his government will go for a stricter and total lockdown in greater Hyderabad – which is the worst affected region - for at least 15 days. He said the decision on dates will be taken in the next three to four days.

“There should be a daylong curfew with one or twohour relaxation to buy essentials. Flights and train services have to be stopped,” the CM said. Currently, there is only night curfew in the state from 9pm to 5am.

Health minister Eatala Rajender informed a review meeting chaired by the CM that several health officials and medical experts have suggested another 15-day lockdown in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Limits to bring the situation under control.

Manipur CM N Biren Singh said the government has decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in the state till July 15 with some relaxations. “The government will open inter-district bus services from Wednesday by maintaining SOPs and guidelines,” he said. Manipur has 1,094 Covid cases and 660 of these are active.