Uddhav Thackeray warns to impose another lockdown in Maharashtra

Mumbai : Days after local trains were open for commute of normal people in Mumbai, the number of new coronavirus cases has spiked with incidents where people were seen not following social distancing and mask protocols issued by the government. CM Uddhav Thackeray has issued a warning that a fresh lockdown will be imposed in the state if people fail to follow the government announced rules.

On Tuesday, Maharashtra registered 3,663 new cases of the coronavirus disease, 461 of them were from Mumbai.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that it is upto people of Mumbai if they want to go into complete lockdown once again as the number of new cases is continuously rising from past few days. "It is up to the people of the state to decide if they want a lockdown or live freely with some restrictions. Wear face masks and avoid crowds or else (you) will need to go into a lockdown again," Thackeray said, according to news agency PTI.

Before CM, Mumbai's mayor Kishori Pednekar urged people to follow the COVID-19 norms and said that if the infection continues to spread then the state may impose a fresh lockdown.

The surge in the new coronavirus cases have been reported 10 days after the local trains were resumed. The train services were made available for normal people from February 1, 2021.

Meanwhile, CM has asked the local authorities to ensure that people are following the coronavirus guidelines and are wearing masks, maintaining social distancing in public places. “People may have become complacent but the authorities should not (drop guard)," Thackeray said during a virtual review meeting with divisional commissioners and collectors, according to PTI.