Amidst COVID Mutant Scare in UK, Maharashtra Declares Night Curfew Starting Today

Maharashtra announced night curfew in Mumbai and all municipal corporations from December 22, 2020 from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am, amidst the mutant coronavirus strain discovered in the UK.

Maharashtra declared night curfew from December 22, 2020, till January 5, 2021, from 11:00pm to 6:00am. The night curfew will be in effect in Mumbai and all municipal corporations starting today till January 5, 2020. The decision comes in light of the mutant COVID-19 strain recently discovered in the UK.

The UK recently discovered a new and highly infectious strain of COVID-19. Following this, multiple nations including India have announced a temporary ban on all flights arriving from the country. Amidst the discovery of this strain, Maharashtra declared night curfew which will come in to effect from today at 11:00pm.

All shops with the exception of essential services like medical stores, will have to shutdown before 11:00pm. Along with this, all non-essential travel are not allowed during the night curfew. The state shall deploy police on the roads to ensure compliance of protocols. It also does not permit a gathering of more than 5 people during the curfew.

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The state government also announced certain rules related to international flight passengers. All passengers arriving in the state from other European and Middle Eastern nations have to undergo 14-day institutional quarantine. Passengers arriving from all other countries have to undergo 7-day institutional quarantine. They must undergo RT-PCR test on the 5th and 7th day to finish their quarantine period. Following discharge, the passengers have to complete their 14-day home isolation, announced the state government on Monday.

Earlier, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray commented that his government is against any night curfew or lockdown. However, the CM held a meeting with the senior state government officials and police officers. Following this, the government announced new rules. The CM may also make it compulsory in the state to wear masks for the next six months.

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Maharashtra’s newly imposed night curfew and flight restrictions are similar to the ones imposed during the initial stages of the lockdown. After nearly nine months of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Maharashtra still remains the worst affected state in the country. With nearly 19 lakh COVID patients in total, the state has the highest number of total COVID-19 cases.