Lockdown announced in Maharashtra's Beed from March 26 to April 4 as COVID-19 cases surge

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MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced lockdown in the Beed district from March 26 till April 4 in the wake of a massive rise in the COVID-19 cases across the state and the country.

According to reports, the order to impose lockdown was issued by the Beed District Collector to prevent further spread of the deadly coronavirus. During the lockdown, all marriage halls, hotels and restaurants will remain shut in the district. 

Similarly, all schools and colleges in the district will also remain closed during this period. All private offices will remain closed during this period and their employees have been encouraged to work from home.

However, all shops selling essential commodities like grocery, milk and medicines, will be exempted during this lockdown. 

On Tuesday, Maharashtra`s Covid-19 fatalities again crossed the 3-digit mark, for the first time since December 4. Over 28,000 new cases were recorded on Tuesday as the state grapples with the "second wave".

The state registered 132 deaths, after 127 on December 4, taking its toll to 53,589. A day after crossing the 25-lakh cumulative tally of infections, the state`s new infections rose from 24,645 on Monday to 28,699.

Mumbai remained in the 3,000-plus range for the second consecutive day, recording 3,514 new cases, taking its tally to 369,451, and 11,604 deaths.

The state recovery rate dropped from 89.22 per cent to 88.73 per cent, while the death rate stood at 2.12 per cent, and the number of active cases jumped up to 230,641.

Pune led with 19 new fatalities, while there were 13 deaths each in Nashik and Nagpur, nine each in Thane and Nanded, eight in Mumbai, seven in Amravati, six in Yavatmal, five in Palghar, four each in Raigad, Nandurbar, Solapur, Beed, Wardha, and Chandrapur, three each in Ahmednagar, Sangli, Parbhani, and Akola, two each in Aurangabad, and Latur, and one each in Dhule, Satara, and Osmanabad.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home isolation shot above the million mark to 11,77,265 while those shunted to institutional quarantine increased to 11,887 on Tuesday.