Weekend lockdown begins in Maharashtra, Mumbai streets put on a abandoned look

On the primary day of the weekend lockdown imposed throughout Maharashtra in view of the rising variety of Covid-19 circumstances, streets wore a abandoned look in lots of elements of Mumbai. Police arrange barricades at locations like Link Road close to Ghatkopar bus depot. There had been folks lining up solely in entrance of wine retailers in sure locations.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has permitted residents, who’re eligible to get the Covid jab, to journey solely to the vaccination centres and again throughout lockdown.
Places resembling Andheri-Kurla Link Road or Dadar flower market, which witness heavy footfalls throughout the day, had been empty on Saturday.
No visitors on the Andheri-Kurla Link Road (Express photograph by Laxman Singh)

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will maintain an all-party assembly on Saturday to construct consensus on the steps wanted to interrupt the chain of transmission. The risk of imposing a whole lockdown will even doubtless be mentioned throughout the assembly.

On Friday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope had stated Maharashtra appeared headed in the direction of a lockdown whereas Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar stated the time for such a step was already right here.

The state has reported greater than 50,000 Covid-19 circumstances every day for a while now.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry stated on Saturday that 1,45,384 recent circumstances had been reported within the final 24 hours within the nation, a brand new document excessive.
Fearing one other risk of complete lockdown, migrant staff and their households have been leaving the state to return to their hometowns once more. To allay any apprehensions, Maharashtra Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif has requested migrant staff to not depart the state, and warranted them that the federal government has no plans of shutting down industrial manufacturing.

“There have been a few instances where migrant labourers have left the state. I request them not to do so and fall prey to rumours,” Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif stated after taking cost of the ministry on Wednesday. Under no circumstances will the state authorities permit the shutting down of factories, industries and companies within the unorganised sector on this interval, he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress MLA Raosaheb Antapurkar died whereas present process therapy for post-COVID problems at a hospital, social gathering sources stated on Saturday.
Antapurkar, who was 64, died at Bombay Hospital on Friday night time, they stated. He suffered a multi-organ failure and has been on ventilator help since April 1.
(With inputs from PTI)