The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has on Tuesday evening issued orders that all non-essential shops, including liquor stores, will remain closed from Wednesday. However, Pardeshi in the order stated that all essential item stores like grocery shops and medical stores will be allowed to be open.
The Maharashtra Government had allowed opening of liquor shops in the state except in the COVID-19 containment zones from Monday morning amid Lockdown 3.0 enforced amid to the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, Praveen Pardeshi in his order clearly stated that due to the relaxation huge crowds were seen and it has been impossible to maintain social distancing.
He added that the COVID-19 cases in the city has been rising and downward trend is yet to set in and gathering of crowds in large numbers without following social distancing will be detrimental to the control of spread of the virus and the advantages of the lockdown will be lost due to gathering of people in large numbers.
"I am convinced that the relaxation notifications mentioned above is going to deteriorate the conditions in Mumbai city and hence relaxations will have to be withdrawn for the Mumbai City," added Pardeshi.
He has issued issue orders to the Assistant Commissioner of wards that no such permissions for the opening of the shops which are non-essential be given and the Senior Police Inspector within euch ward jurisdiction will ensure compliance of those orders in toto, he added.
Meanwhile, as many as 635 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Mumbai, taking the total number of positive cases in the city to 9,758, Municipal Corporation Greater Mumbai said.
26 deaths were recorded in Mumbai on Tuesday, taking the total number of deaths to 387.
