LOCKDOWN: Here we go again!

• At least for 15 days from Wednesday night

• Uddhav to make formal announcement, followed by detailed order

• Railways & air services will continue but curbs on private vehicles

• Fixed time slots for medicines, essential goods shops

• Office attendance in govt & semi govt offices to be cut to 10%, pvt offices to be shut

• Govt plans to prohibit inter- and intra-district vehicular movement

• Vaccination and health emergencies exempt from lockdown

Faced with galloping Covid and at a loss to rein in reckless public behaviour in complying with its ‘Break the Chain’ restrictions, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday unanimously decided to impose a strict lockdown at least for 15 days, starting from 8pm on Wednesday. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who headed the cabinet meeting, is likely to make the announcement through a web address on Wednesday and thereafter, the government will issue a detailed order on the lockdown. This is despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying in his address to the nation that lockdown should be the last resort of states.

The government expects to bring down the staff attendance to 10 per cent, from the current 50 per cent in government and semigovernment offices and expects the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies to follow suit. Private offices will remain shut, as will business establishments selling non-essential goods. However, vaccination and health emergency services, shops selling medicines and other essential commodities, including milk and food, are exempt from the lockdown.

But the government expects to further tighten curbs on public transport, including BEST and state transport and private vehicles. Railways and air services will continue. The government proposes to prohibit inter- and intra-district vehicular movement. The lockdown period will be used to fortify the existing health infrastructure.

A senior cabinet minister told The Free Press Journal, “The cabinet expressed serious concern over the pace at which the number of Covid cases are increasing daily.