Unlock 5.0: Lockdown extended in Maharashtra; hotels to reopen, trains within state to resume

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday extended coronavirus-induced lockdown till October 31 but also said that hotels, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate from October 5 with restricted capacity. All the trains originating and ending the journey within the state will be restarted with immediate effect subject to health protocols for COVID-19, the latest guidelines said.

Hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars can operate from October 5 with the capacity not exceeding 50 per cent or as prescribed by local authorities. A separate Standard Operating Procedure will be issued by the tourism department for precautions to be taken while operating these establishments, an official release said.

All industrial and manufacturing units producing non- essential items will be allowed to operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The Railways will increase the frequency of local trains in the MMR. Local trains in Pune region will restart with protocols and procedures adopted in the MMR.

Dabbawallahs of tiffin carriers in MMR will be allowed to travel by local trains after procuring QR code passes from the Mumbai police commissioner's office. There shall be free movement of oxygen-carrying vehicles within and out of the state without any restrictions of time.

Schools, colleges and other educational and coaching institutions will remain closed. Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres in malls and market places, auditoriums, assembly halls will continue to remain closed.

Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural and religious events and other large congregations will remain prohibited, the guidelines said.

Mumbai on Wednesday reported 2,654 fresh COVID-19 cases, its highest single-day addition, taking the total tally to 2,05,142, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said, adding that 46 fatalities took toll to 8,926. At 2,389, Mumbai had reported the highest number of new cases in a day on September 17, it said.

A total of 2,066 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative count of recoveries to 1,69,268, the BMC said. The city now has 26,540 active cases.

Mumbai's case recovery rate now stands at 82 per cent, while the average growth rate is 1.05 per cent and the average doubling rate is 66 days. The civic body has so far tested more than 11.15 lakh tests.

Mumbai now has 10,450 sealed buildings and 665 containment zones in slums and chawls.