Keeping in line with the Centre’s advisory, the Maharashtra government announced a near-complete shutdown of the state till 21 March. Maharashtra has emerged as the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis in India. The pandemic has claimed two deaths in the state, and seventy-four positive cases.
With Section 144 imposed in urban areas across the state, transport services, including state buses, local trains, and the Mumbai metro have also shut down. But here the services that are still open:
Hospitals & Medical Services
Hospitals across the state have been working overtime to accommodate patients. At least eight public hospitals and eight private ones have begun screening people and collecting samples for testing in Mumbai. Apart from Kasturba Hospital, some of the other government hospitals are KEM Hospital, JJ Hospital and Nair Hospital.
Isolation facilities are also available in the government-run Rajawadi Hospital, KB Bhabha Hospital, Bandra and Kurla and Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care.
Breach Candy Hospital, Hinduja Hospital, Wockhardt Hospital, HN Hospital, Nanavati Hospital, Jaslok Hospital, Fortis Hospital and Kokilaben Ambani Hospital are the private ones that are also screening and collecting samples from patients.
Transport Arrangements
With Mumbai local, metro rail and monorail shut down, the BMC will be providing buses for emergency service providers. MSRTC and BEST buses will be plying for commuters belonging to the following sectors – MCGM staff, police, electric distribution staff, all groceries, vegetables and grains shops, telephone/internet providers, medical/pharmacy stores and all hospital staff.
BEST and state transport buses will ply every five minutes right from Asangaon, Ambernath, Badlapur in central lines, Vashi on harbour lines and Palghar, Virar, Nalasopara on western lines.
Other Essential Services
Stores carrying food and milk supplies will be functioning amidst the shutdown, as will pharmaceuticals. Even trucks carrying goods and manpower related to such services will be allowed to ply.
Aside from these essentials, a few other services that are allowed to function seamlessly include telephone and internet services, electricity, petroleum, oil and energy-related services, drinking water, and warehousing services.
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