Published 15:55 IST, March 19th 2020
Maharashtra orders Police action on people stepping out despite 'Home Quarantine' stamps
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, on Thursday, has ordered the police to lodge cases against those who are violating the mandatory home quarantine
Stepping up its war against Coronavirus, the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, on Thursday, has ordered the police to lodge cases against those who are violating the mandatory home quarantine. Maharashtra has currently recorded the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the country at 49. The total number of cases in the country stands at 180, including 3 deaths.
Maharashtra govt orders police action on escapees
Quarantine escape cases
On March 14, five suspected patients escaped their isolation wards from Mayo Hospital in Nagpur. According to the police, the patients had left the ward for snacks but they did not return, but were later traced by the police and then taken back to the hospital. One of the five had tested negative, and the others' results are expected to arrive by Saturday.
Similarly, on Wednesday, 4 people with the 'Home Quarantine Stamp' on their hands were deboarded from the Garib Rath train in Palghar. The individuals had flown in from Germany and were suspected to have COVID-19 were heading to Surat but were deboarded as they were defying protocol. Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra government had instructed authorities to stamp people who have been placed under 'home quarantine' for suspected exposure to the COVID-19.
Maharashtra shuts down
On March 13, Maharashtra CM Thackeray invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act declaring the Coronavirus as an epidemic - declaring all gyms, swimming pools, malls, theatres, pubs shut in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad till March 31. All educational institutes including public and private schools and colleges will remain shut, only exams of standard 10 & 12 and university courses will continue according to the schedule. The Maharashtra government has also asked to shut all religious shrines - churches, mosques, temples. While it has not discontinued Mumbai's BEST buses and local trains, restrictions have been imposed to reduce to 50% travellers. All private and government offices have been to cut down staff attence to 50% too.
Updated 15:55 IST, March 19th 2020