Mumbai: As India enters unlock 1.0 with more relaxations in the offing amidst coronavirus pandemic, visuals coming in from Marine drive in Mumbai, Maharashtra is baffling. On Sunday evening, residents were seen walking in large numbers with masks but without adhering to social distancing norms.
This comes just days after Uddhav Thackeray-led government announced certain relaxations in the lockdown, allowing certain outdoor activities including cycling, jogging and running.
Residents flock Marine Drive in Mumbai amid surge in cases The image raises concerns about the unlock strategy put in place in the state even as cases continue to surge exponentially.
Read: Press Information Bureau chief K S Dhatwalia tests positive for COVID-19
The state government has currently allowed outdoor physical activity between 5 am to 7 pm in the first phase of its unlocking strategy.
'Mission begin again' guidelines released by the government allows all markets, market areas and shops to open on odd-even basis in non-containment zones across Maharashtra. The use of public places for physical activity also comes under this guideline.
Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally rose to 85,975 on Sunday with 3,007 new cases while the fatality count mounted by 91, including 61 deaths in Mumbai, to 3,060.
Of the total 85,975 cases in the state, Mumbai now accounts for 48,774 cases and 1,638 deaths. Currently, 5,58,463 people are placed under home quarantine and 28,504 in institutional quarantine across Maharashtra.
