Maharashtra: Lockdown to be extended in Mumbai, Pune and other COVID-19 hotspots

 The Maharashtra government on Thursday intends to extend the lockdown till May 31 in Mumbai, Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad and Malegaon, which have emerged as COVID-19 hotspots in the state, a senior official said on Thursday.

The possibility of extending the restrictions at these places was discussed during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday. The state's view will be conveyed to the Centre in writing,' the official said.

'In the rest of the state, the guidelines of the Centre will be implemented when they are announced before the lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17,' he added.

Maharashtra has been one of the worst hit state by COVID-19 with 25,922 cases and 975 fatalities. Of the total, Mumbai accounts for 15,747 cases and 596 deaths.