JOIN USAs Covid-19 cases surge, Mumbai shuts malls, asks people to work from home
By Dhwani Pandya
Mumbai authorities asked all private offices to work from home through April as India’s financial hub emerges once again as the epicenter of a new wave of coronavirus infections.
Banks, stock exchanges, medical and insurance services will be allowed some staffing concessions, according to a government notification Sunday. All non-essential services including malls, places of worship, and beauty salons will shut operations from 8 pm on Monday.
“There is an alarming rate of growth of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said in a statement earlier Sunday. Maharashtra — which contributes about 15 per cent of India’s national output — accounted for 57 per cent of new infections over the past 14 days and 47 per cent of deaths during the period.
India is heading toward 1 lakh daily cases, which would be a record. The resurgence follows an unexplained lull in recent months, which allowed businesses to re-open and fostered optimism in policymakers about a recovery in growth. Asia’s third-largest economy had slumped into a historic recession last year after PM Modi announced a sudden, vast, and strict lockdown.
Maharashtra will impose a complete lockdown over weekends. Anyone breaking the rules will be fined Rs 500.
Delivery staff, transport workers and other personnel must be vaccinated as early as possible under government rules, and those not yet eligible must have a test certificate to show they aren’t infected. The negative RT-PCR statement will be valid for 15 days.
India recorded 93,249 new infections on Sunday, the highest daily tally since September 19. Mumbai reported a record 11,163 cases for the day.
About 7.5 crore citizens have been vaccinated so far in the country of 130 crore people.