Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Wednesday released a new set of guidelines imposing even stricter restrictions in the state in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases. The new restrictions will come into effect from 8 pm on April 22 and continue till 7 am on May 1.


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The government notification did not use the world 'lockdown' as had been the general expectation around this announcement. Also, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray did not announce the new restrictions himself, unlike last time. 


Maharashtra has been placed under lockdown-like restrictions since April 15. Except for essential shops and services, all establishments have been shut till May.


The Thackeray-led government had in a cabinet meet on Tuesday agreed that stricter measures needed to be implemented as the second wave of the novel coronavirus has been devastating.


Maharashtra govt issues new guidelines:


* Use of local trains has been restricted
* Private buses can ply with 50 per cent of seating capacity with no standing travelers
* Private transport excluding buses can ply for emergency or essential services or valid reasons with driver plus 50 per cent of the seating capacity
* All government offices, both state and central, to function at 15 per cent capacity
* Marriage to be conducted as a single event in a single hall not extending beyond 2 hours with maximum of total 25 persons attending the same.


Meanwhile, on Wednesday the state recorded the highest number of COVID-19 deaths with 568 people succumbing to the infection in the past 24 hours, while as many as 67,468 new cases of the coronavirus has been reported.


The total caseload has now increased to 40,27,827 and the death toll from coronavirus stands at 61,911.


Maharashtra is the worst-hit in India due to the second wave of pandemic.