While jokes about the country being perfectly safe from the novel coronavirus once the Janata Curfew ended at 9 p.m. circulated on social media all through Sunday, the Mumbai Police took no chances, effectively putting the city into partial lockdown till March 31.
They initially imposed prohibitory orders in the city from Sunday night to Monday morning, restricting anyone from stepping out into the public. Later in the evening, after the Chief Minister announced Section 144 in urban areas across the State, the police issued a fresh order saying that assembly of five or more people would be prohibited from 5.01 a.m. on Monday to midnight on March 31.
The Thane Police, too, issued prohibitory orders from Sunday night to Monday morning.
Emergency services, essential services like food and milk supplies, hospital, medical and pharma-related supplies, telephone and internet services, electricity, petroleum and oil, drinking water and trucks carrying goods and manpower related to such services, will be exempt from the orders, the police said.
The first circular, issued on Sunday afternoon by DCP (Operations) and Mumbai Police spokesperson Pranaya Ashok, said that “prohibitory orders restricting any presence or movement of one or more persons in public places and also any vehicles carrying such persons to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus” had been put into effect from 9.01 p.m. on Sunday to 5 a.m. on Monday.
Mr. Ashok said the orders were issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowers the police force concerned to take any steps deemed necessary to ensure the safety of citizens in its jurisdiction.
The circular cautions that any violation will be punishable under the Indian Penal Code.
