Lockdown may be extended in Mumbai, Pune, hints CM

Mumbai : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday gave clear indications that lifting the lockdown from the red zones in Mumbai and Pune may not be possible in view of the grim Covid-19 situation in these areas.

"The question being asked is, 'what after May 3'? I want to make it clear that we cannot lift the lockdown from the red zones like in the Mumbai-Pune belt, parts of Nagpur and other areas in the state," Thackeray said.

He was speaking in a web address to the state on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the formation of Maharashtra, and May Day on Friday afternoon.

Thackeray said the government has marked and mapped the places on the basis of red, orange and green zones.

"In the green zones, economic activities can resume gradually; in orange zones, barring the affected areas, commercial activities would be allowed to start slowly with full precautions, but not in the red zones," the Chief Minister asserted.

The state was under lockdown from March 24 to April 30, before then the Centre announced the nationwide lockdown from March 25 to May 3 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, Covid-19 continues its deadly march in the state with 459 casualties and nearly 10,500 cases till date, with Mumbai being the country's hotspot with 290 deaths followed by Pune with 96 victims.