The COVID-19 tally is escalating in Maharashtra as it became the first state in India to cross 2,000-mark in the number of positive cases on Monday. With the state reporting 82 new COVID-19 cases so far on Monday, Maharashtra's tally has risen to 2,064, a state health official informed.
Meanwhile, state housing minister Jitendra Awhad has decided to go under self-quarantine, after coming in contact with a police officer who tested positive for coronavirus disease. Awhad represents Thane district's Kalwa-Mumbra Assembly constituency, where several coronavirus cases have been found in the last couple of weeks.
He is the first state minister to quarantine himself. Awhad recently urged citizens of his constituency to stay indoors or else it could prove fatal.
The state on Monday also notified that it is extending the lockdown till April 30. On Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had hinted that the lockdown would be extended at least for two weeks. “The lockdown will be extended till April 30, that's a minimum. I am emphasizing the word minimum, because we need the people’s co-operation to break the cycle. People should not come out unless absolutely necessary. Do not crowd markets and co operate, and only then we can tackle this by April 30, ” he had told the media.
The nation came to a standstill as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a 21-day pan-India lockdown on March 24. While the 21-day period ends on Tuesday, many states such as Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra have decided to stay put on the restrictions to contain the deadly coronavirus that has killed 308 people and infected more than 9,000 in India.