After reporting a massive spurt in coronavirus cases, Maharashtra will extend the lockdown scheduled to end on May 17.?
The state government has decided to extend the lockdown? in hotspot areas like Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Aurangabad and Solapur until May 31.
On May 14, the state government expressed its intent to extend the lockdown in hotspots till month-end. The possibility of extending the lockdown was discussed in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.?
"In the rest of the state, the guidelines of the Centre will be implemented when they are announced before the lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17," a state government official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on Thursday.
Maharashtra has reported more than 26,000 so far and the state accounts for highest number of cases in the country.
COVID-19 lockdown was first implemented on March 24 and has been extended twice, on April 14 and May 4. On Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi had said that lockdown 4.0, which may follow post-May 17, will be different from the three phases implemented so far.?
The ongoing lockdown, which was extended by the Union Home Ministry on May 4, concludes on May 17.