Mumbai News

No decision on closure of railway and bus services in Mumbai: Uddhav – Livemint

Amid novel coronavirus spread in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that there would be no closure on railway and bus services in Mumbai.

However, Uddhav warned that the government would be forced to take harsh decision to stop bus and train services in Mumbai if citizens do not follow self discipline by avoiding unnecessary travels.

The CM also made fresh appeal to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and gathering. He also stated that there would be no holiday for seven days to government offices, but would operate with 50% attendance.

Mumbai hotel and restaurants to follow Pune model where they have voluntarily decided to close for next three days from Wednesday to avoid virus spread, Thackeray added.

During the crucial meeting, Thackeray said next 15 days are crucial to tackle coronavirus outbreak in the state.

Earlier, according to reports, the BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has asked private firms in the city to function “only at 50% of their staff capacity or face action under section 188 of the IPC”.

Disobeying an order of a public servant under section 188 can lead to a punishment of six months jail or fine or both.

Apart from that, Maharashtra has also allocated 45 crore to districts which have seen an outbreak of Covid-19 infections in the state, Thackeray said in a video conference with various stakeholders on Monday. The government also included Saudi Arabia and the US to the list of countries from where travelers will be screened at airports and quarantined, if necessary.

Maharashtra currently has 40 COVID-19 positive cases, the highest in the country, with one death of a 63-year-old man with a recent history of travel to Dubai. The total number of confirmed cases in the state now stands at 137, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/no-decision-on-closure-of-railway-and-bus-services-in-mumbai-uddhav-11584444656952.html