Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that all shops, private establishments and offices from Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur will be closed from midnight till March 31, with the exception of banks, essential services and shops selling essential commodities.
Mr. Thackeray also announced reduction in the number of government employees attending offices from the existing 50% to 25%.
In an address to the people of the State through social media, Mr. Thackeray said local trains and buses in Mumbai cannot be stopped amidst the deadly coronavirus pandemic as lower-income groups and those working in the health and other important sectors use them for travel. “The crowd on road and in trains has reduced considerably. But if does not reduce further then we will have to shut down public transport,” he said.
The establishments which will remain open include banks, and shops selling medicines, food items, milk, and vegetables. “Apart from banks, stock exchanges, clearing corporations, depositories, stock brokers and SEBI registered participants operating through these institutions will be exempted,” said Mr. Thackeray, adding that the financial institutions need to run to ensure citizens do not face financial difficulties in this hour of need. He appealed to the owners of shops and private offices to not stop the daily wages of labourers. “Don’t forget humanity in these times,” Mr. Thackeray.
The Chief Minister said, “The next 15 days are extremely crucial. If work from home is not possible for private companies then it is better to shut down the offices for the time being. District collectors have been given full responsibilities to enact strict measures.”
Mr .Thackeray informed of the patients who have tested positive in the State five have recovered but will remain in isolation for the next 14 days.
Meanwhile, Education minister Varsha Gaikwad announced that all exams from Class I to Class VIII have been cancelled. The remaining papers of Class IX and XI will be held after April 15. The board exams for Class X will be held as per schedule and all teachers those of Class X will work from home.
