Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday the decision to extend the lockdown in the state, which will end on April 14, depends on people.
Uddhav Thackeray’s comment on the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes after Rajesh Tope, the state’s health minister, said Maharashtra is likely to extend the lockdown beyond April 14.
Rajesh Tope had said Mumbai and other urban areas could see the lockdown extension by two more weeks.
Maharashtra is the country’s worst-affected state and reported 47 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, which has taken the number of coronavirus patients to 537.
Mumbai has the highest number of Covid-19 patients in the western state, which saw its first case on March 9, and has reported at least 20 deaths.
There are 28 Covid-19 patients in Mumbai, 15 in Thane district, two in Pune and one each in Amravati and Pimpri Chinchwad, officials said on Saturday.
“The number of patients in the state is rising as we have strengthened our capacity and testing more people,” Thackeray said.
The chief minister also asked people to limit their movement outside their houses. He said people should use a mask if they step out to buy essential commodities.
Thackeray also asked those suffering with symptoms such as pneumonia, cough, cold and fever not to visit private doctor or hospital. Instead, he suggested, they could visit dedicated hospitals started by the state government to treat patients infected with Covid-19.
