Maharashtra: Bars, hotels can remain open till 11.30 pm from today

The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra, under its ‘Mission Begin Again’ campaign, has allowed restaurants, bars, hotels and food courts to remain open from 7 am to 11.30 pm starting Friday (October 16).

Markets and other shops will be allowed to stay open from 7 am to 9.30 pm.

In Maharashtra Udhav allowed for opening Bar,Buses,factories,offices,shops,public markets,malls,restaurants, hotels,dhabas,service stations, sabzi mandi & many more but,is not allowing to open Mandir/Masjid despite citizen's demand. Is this Democracy or dictatorship rule?THINK.

— ALWAYS ON JOB. (@ALWAYSONJOB2) October 14, 2020

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena on Thursday picked up Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in its editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana. Koshiyari recently wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding immediate reopening places of worship. In an unusually worded official letter, the Governor had mockingly asked if the Sena leader had “suddenly turned secular.”

The editorial said that the Maharashtra Governor should be recalled if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah wish to preserve the “prestige” of Raj Bhavan. It further said restaurants have opened with strict Covid safety protocol, but reopening temples will see crowding.

Maharashtra corona round up

The state’s first post-Covid Care Centre will open in Majiwada in Thane next week. The centre will have the capacity to monitor the recovery of 400 patients who have been discharged after recovering from Covid-19.

Also read: Metro gets a green signal, shops to remain open till 9 pm

The number of positive cases in Maharashtra rose to 15.64 lakh on Thursday after the state detected an additional 10,226 cases. Its tally of 15,64,615 cases included 1,92,459 patients who were undergoing treatment, 13,30,483 who had recovered and 41,196 who had succumbed to the disease.

Mumbai reported 2,119 cases and 46 deaths on Thursday, taking its Covid-19 count to 2,36,721 and toll to 9,601. Pune’s tally has increased to 3,11,627 cases and 7,335 deaths after counting 1,197 new infections and 38 deaths.

Meanwhile, the state government on Friday opened up suburban train services for women in Mumbai. The press release said, “It is requested that local train services may be made available to all ladies from 11 am to 3 pm and again from 7 pm onwards till the end of local services for the day, with effect from October 17, 2020 in Mumbai and MMR region.”