Maharashtra Imposes Stricter Covid-19 Norms; Groceries, Essential Shops Open Only From 7 am to 11 am

The Maharashtra government have enforced stricter norms in the state with groceries shops to remain open only for four hours a day. In a statement released on Tuesday, the state government said that groceries and others shops will remain open between 7 am and 11 am.

The statement added that the new rules will remain applicable till May 1 to break the chain of transmission. The move comes a week after the state government enforced state-wise curfew along with other stringent measures to curb Covid.

“All Groceries, vegetable shops, fruit vendors, dairies, bakeries, confectionaries, all type of food shops (including chicken, mutton, poultry, fish and eggs), shops to be open only between 7 am to 11 am,” the statement read.

“Home delivery from the said shops however may be allowed between 7 am to 8 pm. These timings however may be changed by the local authority,” it added.

Maharashtra on Monday had witnessed a dip in its daily count by recording 58,924 fresh infections and 351 deaths, the state health department said. The overall case tally in Maharashtra now stands at 38,98,262 while the toll is 60,824, it said. The state is now left with 6,76,520 active cases.

The state is one of the worst Covid-affected states in India, reporting shortage of medical oxygen. The Maharashtra government had imposed 15-day-long “lockdown-like” restrictions from April 14 to curb the transmission of coronavirus.

Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting assembly of five or more people at one spot, will be in force during the period, Thackeray had said, but refrained from terming the new curbs as a lockdown.

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