By Quaid Najmi
Mumbai, March 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Barely two months after it was partially opened to a 24x7 lifestyle, the country's financial capital Mumbai is now headed for a lockdown amidst the Coronavirus scourge that has afflicted 52 persons in the state as of Friday.
Tightening the clampdown screws, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday ordered all private offices, shops and commercial establishments to be shut in Mumbai besides Pune and Nagpur, slashing attendance in government offices from 50 percent to 25 percent, and cancelling all Class 1-8 school exams this year. Government offices have also been directed not to switch on air-conditioners.
For the present, the axe has not fallen on Mumbai's lifelines, the local trains and public buses, but the CM called upon people to refrain from stepping out as the "war against virus" intensified in the state.
"After my (Thursday) appeal, there has been a substantial drop in crowds but more needs to be done. We have decided that barring extremely essential services, all private offices and shops will remain closed till March 31 and attendance in government offices will be only 25 percent," Thackeray said.
These measures shall be strictly enforced from midnight in the sprawling Mumbai Metropolitan Region comprising Mumbai city and suburbs, parts of Raigad, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Palghar, the Pune Metropolitan Region including Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and surroundings, and Nagpur, the state's second capital.
Incidentally, these three cities have international airports with scores of flights daily flying in thousands of passengers from around the world, including many from COVID-19 hit countries.
In a sign that the state's warnings were heeded, the crowds in Mumbai suburban trains and buses fell sharply by around 50 percent, according to officials.
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi issued a notification totally shutting all private, corporates and establishments, and restricting vehicular movements in the vicinity of all isolation/quarantine centres like Kasturba, KEM and Seven Hills hospitals.
Pardeshi listed the extremely essential services exempt from the shutdown include the railways, and bus services, media, banks, telephone and Internet providers, water, sewerage, electricity, food, vegetables, groceries, hospitals and pharmacies, all fuel stations, ports and those manufacturing or production processes which require continuity of processes but at 50 percent staff strength only.
In view of the latest developments, Mumbai's Archbishop, Cardinal Oswald Gracias has suspended all masses and church services till April 4, while the Haji Ali mausoleum and Mahim Dargah have banned entry till further orders.
The Dawoodi Bohras' famed Raudat Tahera mausoleum has been shut till further notice, the Fatemi Dawat in Thane has also banned all religious and community activities and now offers namaz and other services online.
Stock markets like BSE and NSE, clearing corporations, depositories, banks, stock-brokers and SEBI-registered participants operating through these institutions have been exempted but they are functioning with only essential 50 percent staff since the past two days.
Thackeray urged all the companies and commercial establishments remaining shut to ensure they pay up the minimum wages or salaries to their staff in view of the "extraordinary global crisis" that has gripped the state.
Later in the evening, he apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the measures taken by the state and further steps being taken to arrest the spread of coronavirus.
Promptly reacting to Thackeray's plea, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran assured that all temporary staff and wage-earners would get their full pay for March and April even if they don't attend work for whatever reasons.
"The other segment of particular focus is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector. Tata Group companies follow a policy of making timely payments of legitimate dues. Under the current situation, we will monitor this closely to ensure that such dues are paid on an immediate basis in order to provide liquidity," Chandrasekaran said.
Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said that while all examinations from Class I to 8 are cancelled and all students will be automatically promoted, a decision on Class 9 and Class 11 will be taken next month, while the ongoing Class X examinations shall be continued as per schedule.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed that the condition of all patients - barring two - is stable in various hospitals across the state and has appealed to people not to step out of their homes.
He added that the state has completely banned all flights from worst-hit 12 countries besides exercising extreme precautions for flights from all other nations at the three international airports in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur since the past over a month.
Tope advised people to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call and observe the "Janata Curfew" on Sunday by remaining indoors as the next 10 days are "critical".
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
Source: IANS
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