Thane extends lockdown in hotspot areas till Aug 31

The coronavirus tally in Thane district of Maharashtra crossed the 84,000-mark on Thursday with the single-day rise of 1,579 cases, officials said. The death toll due to the virus reached 2,321 as 37 patients died during the day, they said.

In view of the increasing cases in Thane city, the Municipal Corporation of the city has extended the lockdown till August 31. 

However, the extension will be aplicable to only areas that fall under hotspots. The areas which do not fall under the category of red zones will resume operations as per the government's Mission Begin Again.

Earlier, a 10 day complete lockdown was announced from July 2 to July 12. However, the lockdown has been extended for another 8 days in order to curb the spread of the virus. 

The order to extend the lockdown has been issued by Thane Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma. The circular stated, "To contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the civic body has decided to extend the lockdown in the hotspots of the city till August 31, 5 pm." "The rest of the areas will resume operations as per Mission Begin Again which was launched by the government. 

Under this programme, apart from malls, shopping complexes, gyms and swimming pools, all vegetable markets, along with shops selling essential items, will be allowed to remain open on alternate days on either side of the road from 9 am to 7 pm," it added.