COVID-19: Maharashtra Extends Lockdown Till 30 April

An aerial view of a deserted Western Express Highway during lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Dahisar in Mumbai, on 26 March.

(Photo: PTI)

In the wake of a continuous spike in COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government on Saturday, 11 April, decided to extend the ongoing lockdown till 30 April.

Making the announcement, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown can be relaxed in certain areas while in others it will become stricter.

“The state will show the way to the country even in these tough times... On Monday, we will complete five weeks since the first case of coronavirus was reported in the state. We can say that till now we have been successful in preventing the multiplication of the number of cases up to some extent.”

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

He also said that the decision on lifting the curbs completely after 30 April will be taken depending upon the prevailing situation.

The Maharashtra government's announcement on Saturday came after Punjab and Odisha's decision to also extend the lockdown in their respective states. The 21-day nationwide lockdown is due to come to an end on 15 April.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a video-conference with the chief ministers of all states to discuss an exit strategy for the lockdown, wherein there was a consensus among states on its extension by another two weeks.

Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases so far at 1,574, with 110 deaths and 188 cases of recovery.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)