Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh distributes masks & sanitisers to Mumbai cops

Keeping in mind the commitment of the Mumbai Police in handling the COVID-19 lockdown, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Saturday distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and sanitizers to Mumbai police personnel. "We want our police officials to remain safe while they are on duty amid coronavirus lockdown," he said. With 43 more people testing positive, the number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai increased to 278 while the death toll in the entire state due to the infection reached 19.

Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's COVID-19 Tally Increases To 2902; 68 Casualties Reported

'Enough food to last for 6 months'

Meanwhile, as the people in the state face hardships in procuring food grains from fair price shops due to the 21-day lockdown, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said the state has enough reserves of grains that can last for six more months. Appealing to people to not panic and crowd such shops, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal also said the state government is planning to buy food grains from the open market and sell it to holders of saffron-colored ration cards at cheaper rates.

Read: CM Uddhav Reveals 'Didn't Permit Tablighi Jamaat Event In Maharashtra'; State Tally At 423

COVID-19 crisis in Maharashtra 

With 47 new cases of coronavirus being reported in Maharashtra, the total number of positive cases on Saturday rose to 537, according to the state health department. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday briefed the state on the present situation in the state. Thackeray informed that the government has increased the testing of patients across the state and also informed that several hospitals dedicated to COVID-19 have been set up in Mumbai. 

Read: Maharashtra Health Minister Hints At Phase-wise Relaxation Of Lockdown After April 14

Read: Maharashtra Has Enough Stock Of Food Grains,no Need To Panic: Food And Civil Supplies Minister Bhujbal

(With Agency Inputs)