While Maharashtra has lifted all Covid curbs, Shanghai is expanding the Covid curbs, seeing an increase in cases.
On Thursday, the Maharashtra government decided to withdraw all Covid-19 restrictions imposed under the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act in the state from Saturday. Wearing a mark is no more mandatory and has been made optional.
The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who issued instructions to the administration to issue an order in this regard immediately.
“Gudi Padwa is the beginning of the new year. This is the day to start a new work by keeping aside the old one. For the last two years, we have successfully battled the deadly coronavirus, and today it seems to be fading. To make a fresh start, the restrictions imposed during the corona period under the Disaster Management Act as well as the Epidemic Diseases Act are being completely lifted from Gudi Padwa (April 2),” said Thackeray, in a statement issued by the CM secretariat. He also said that, “People should take care of themselves and others by following Covid-appropriate behaviour.”
The countries in the US, UAE and UK have already become mask-free. Shanghai to expand lockdown to most residents as COVID cases rise. Lockdown in China’s financial hub has been extended. Shanghai is witnessing an exponential rise in asymptomatic Covid-19 cases over recent weeks.
Residents of Shanghai’s eastern districts, who were supposed to be released from four days of isolation, are now told that if cases are found in residential compounds, the lockdown could be extended. Shanghai is on the fourth day of a 10-day lockdown. The lockdown was to cover the city in two phases, east and west, for five days each.
On Wednesday, the cases reported were 5,298 locally transmitted new asymptomatic cases and 355 symptomatic cases. On Tuesday, 5,656 asymptomatic cases and 326 symptomatic cases.
Published by: Shivani Bhalke
Edited by: Khushi Thakur
