The Maharashtra government has extended the coronavirus lockdown till July 31 amid a steady growth in the COVID-19 numbers in the state. Issuing fresh guidelines for what it called 'Mission Begin Again', the government said that movement for non-essential activities will be restricted within the neighbourhoods in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
"It is further directed that the movement of persons for the purposes of non-essential activities like shopping and the outdoor exercises, shall be restricted within the neighbourhood area limits with all necessary prescribed mandatory precautions of wearing masks, social distancing and personal hygiene," a statement read.

Only those attending offices and emergencies will be allowed unrestricted movement, the government said.

"It is also directed that unrestricted movement will be permitted only for attending place of work and bonafide humanitarian requirement including medical reason".All essential shops, e-commerce activity for essential and non-essential items, all industrial units which are presently operational and home delivery of food will be allowed.

All essential and non-essential shops and market, except malls and market complexes, will be allowed to open from 9 am to 5 pm.

"All Government offices (excluding Emergency, health and Medical, treasuries, disaster management, police, NIC, food and Civil Supply, FCI, NYK, Municipal Services) to function with 15% strength or 15 persons - whichever is higher," it said.

All private offices in Mumbai Metropolitan Region can operate with 10% strength or 10 people.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister of Public Health Rajesh Tope has directed the district and civic administrations to increase detection, testing and treatment with the involvement of the local population.Thane district is the biggest contributor of COVID-19 in Maharashtra after Mumbai. According to Thane civic body, on Sunday COVID-19 cases breaching the 30000-mark in Thane and deaths nearing 1000.

With no let up in COVID-19 cases, Thane district collectorate said that some areas of the city, the largest in the district, will be put under stringent lockdown from July 1. Its additional Municipal Commissioner Ganesh Deshmukh informed that modalities of the move were being discussed and details of curbs areas will be announced soon. With an addition of 1,345 cases in Thane yesterday the tally has now reached 30,289. The district also witnessed 36 deaths which took the toll to 983.

While, in Navi Mumbai, its civic chief has already announced total lockdown in 12 containment areas in the city starting today, during which house-to-house screening drives would be undertaken. In Neighbouring Palghar district, collector Kailas Shinde also declared some areas as containment zones and ordered lockdown to contain the outbreak.

Story Input ; NDTV