Mumbai: India’s richest state Maharashtra imposed stricter restrictions for 15 days on Wednesday in an effort to stem the surge of coronavirus infections that is threatening to overcome hospitals.
Top Maharashtra state officials stressed that the closure of most industries, businesses, public places and limits on the movement of people didn’t constitute a lockdown.
Last year, a sudden, harsh, nationwide lockdown left millions of people in India jobless overnight.
Stranded in cities with no income or food, thousands of migrant workers walked on highways to get home. Since then, state leaders have repeatedly stressed that another lockdown wasn’t a possibility.
On Wednesday the country reported more than 180,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, about a third in Maharashtra state, and a total of 13.9 million cases since the pandemic began.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that most public places, shops and establishments will be shut for 15 days starting 8 pm Wednesday, except for essential services like grocery stores and banks.
Also read: Lockdown fear among migrants amidst a surge in Covid19 cases
Compounding concerns is the question of whether India, despite being the world's largest maker of vaccines, will have enough to immunize its vast population swiftly enough to slow down the virus.
India said Tuesday that it would authorize vaccines that had been given emergency approval by the World Health Organization or regulators in the United States, Europe, Britain or Japan.
Indian regulators also approved Russia's Sputnik V for emergency use.
AP
