Covid-19 precaution: Maharashtra extends lockdown till Nov 30

The Maharashtra government has extended the lockdown in containment zones across the state till November 30.

The Uddhav Thackeray government issued a statement on Thursday which stated: “The activities already allowed and permitted from time to time shall be continued and all earlier orders shall be aligned with this order and shall remain in force up to 30th November, 2020.”

‘Sweep roads if you can’t pay for not wearing mask’

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is making violators do community service in the form of sweeping roads if they are reluctant to pay Rs 200 as fine for not wearing masks in public places.

In view of the pandemic, wearing face masks is mandatory in public places across Maharashtra.

Besides, the state government has directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to impose a fine of Rs 200 on commuters found without masks in local trains and on stations, PTI reported.

Also read: RTI reply reveals BMC spent ₹82 lakh in Kangana’s office demolition case

Refrain from making replacement donor mandatory, blood banks told

The Indian Express reported that Covid-19 patients, prescribed convalescent plasma therapy, have been facing difficulties in plasma procurement as blood banks in Mumbai have been insisting on replacement donors or extra deposits in cases where a replacement donor is not available immediately. On Tuesday, the state government issued a circular to all blood banks directing them to refrain from making replacement donor mandatory. It also asked blood banks not to charge beyond Rs 5,500 for a single unit of plasma.