Mumbai, March 15 With the number of coronavirus positive cases shooting to 33 as of Sunday, Maharashtra has emerged as the Indian state worst-hit by the global pandemic.
With a staggering 16 cases - 8 in Pune city and 8 in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune district has earned the dubious tag as the Coronavirus 'hotbed' in India.
Unwilling to take any chances, Mumbai Police has clamped prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons in the city till March 31.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in the day and discussed the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
In the past 24 hours, five new cases were detected in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district late on Saturday night, and one new case detected in Aurangabad and Pune each on Sunday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
He announced that testing and treatment facilities available in Mumbai and Pune for coronavirus will be enhanced over the next 15-20 days.
"We shall get new machines, for testing blood samples to quicken up the process of getting the tests reports. We shall also set up new testing labs in Sangli, Dhule and Solapur," Tope added.
Presently, there are 16 cases in Pune, five in Mumbai, four in Nagpur, two in Yavatmal, and one each in Thane, Raigad, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Kalyan, and Navi Mumbai.
Tope said that security at all treatment centres is being increased to prevent any patients from bolting.
The measure is being taken after four suspected patients ran away from a private hospital in Nagpur and three from Ahmednagar, creating a huge health scare, but were subsequently brought back.
Maharashtra has gone into a shutdown mode with closure of all schools, colleges, malls, swimming pools, gymns, public places, cancellation of all public events, religious processions, etc. till March 31 as a precaution.
Mumbai's Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranay Ashok said all tours - private or through professional organisations - has been banned in the city with immediate effect till March 31.
While the ongoing SSC-HSC examinations are underway usual, the state government has sought a postponement of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams till April 1.
The IIT-Bombay has also suspended all classroom and laboratory instructions till March 29 besides imposing other stringent rules for its students, hostellers, faculty, staff, visitors, etc.
( With inputs from IANS )