Mumbai, April 22: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced new COVID-19 restrictions to curb the rapidly increasing cases in the state. The new restrictions will remain in force from 8 pm on April 22 till 7 am on May 1.

 

 

 

As per the order of the Maharashtra government, a total of only 25 persons will be allowed to attend a marriage function and all government offices have been instructed to work at 15 per cent capacity.

 

 

In a major development, a ban has been imposed on inter-city and inter-district travel, however, exemptions have been made for people travellling for a medical emergency, essential services and funeral or medical attendance.

 

 

• Private buses can ply with 50% of seating capacity with no standing travellers.
  
  
• Bus service operator must restrict the stoppages to maximum two in a city and shall inform local District Management Authority (DMA) about the same and the schedule. Local DMA may ask to change these if so desired.
  
  
• At the stoppages where passengers are alighting all passengers shall be stamped on the hand for 14 days home quarantine. This stamping must be done by the operator.
  
  
• Thermal scanners shall be used and anyone with symptoms shall be moved to corona care centres or to a hospital.
  
  
• Local DMA may decide to do the RAT test at the alighting point by appointing one of the authorised labs to give these services. Cost of the test, if so decided shall be borne by the passenger/ service provider.
  
  
• If any operator is found to be flouting these guidelines, then DMA may levy a fine of 10000/-. Repeated defaults will lead to cancellation of license to operate till end of notification of COVID 19 as a pandemic.
  
  
• The local Disaster Management Authority can waive off the rules regarding mandatory stamping for buses arriving from certain origins as per the local conditions.

 

 

Only the following categories of people will be allowed to use local trains, metro and mono rail services (excepting long distance trains)

• All government personnel (state/ central/ local), tickets/ passes to be issued to the above category of personnel on the basis of a Government-issued identity card only.
  
  
• All medical personnel (Doctors/ paramedics/ lab technicians/ hospital and medical clinic staff etc). Tickets/ passes to be issued on the basis of an identity card issued by the concerned medical organization.
  
  
• Any persons needing medical treatment or specially-abled persons and one person accompanying the needy.
  
  
• State government or local government-owned public buses shall ply at 50 per cent of the capacity with no standing passengers.

 

 

The marriage ceremony may be conducted only as a single event in a single hall not extending beyond 2 hours with a maximum of a total of 25 persons attending the same. Any family seen to be flaunting the restraints or not following these in letter and spirit may be fined Rs 50,000/-, and any location that is misused or is defaulting in the spirit of the restrictions shall be closed till the promulgation of Covid 19 as a disaster remains in force.

 

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 67,468 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking its tally beyond the 40 lakh mark. With 568 more patients succumbing to the deadly contagious virus, the death toll increased to 61,911.

 

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh tope on Tuesday said that all the cabinet ministers expressed views in favour of a strict lockdown to minimise the spread of COVID-19.