Maharashtra curbs New Year festivities as Mumbai Covid cases shoot up

Mumbai: Worried with the spike in Covid-19 and Omicron cases, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday clamped fresh restrictions on all New Year celebrations, advising people above 60 and kids below 10 to remain indoors, as Mumbai tally shot above 2,500.

Public events will be allowed upto 50 per cent capacity in closed halls or auditoria, and upto 25 per cent of capacity in open spaces, and no bursting of fire-crackers to welcome the New Year 2022 on Friday/Saturday.

All care must be taken to ensure social distancing is maintained and crowding is avoided at public places of New Year celebrations like Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Girgaum and Juhu beaches and all other beaches, gardens, grounds, etc, besides use of face masks and sanitisers, said an official notification.

While citizens aged 60 and above or kids of 10 years and less have been advised to remain indoors for health and safety reasons, the government has barred any kind of religious or cultural events or processions attracting crowds, or avoid visiting religious places on New Year Day, said an official notification.

Mumbai presented a shocker with nearly doubling of new Covid-19 infections - from 1,333 on Tuesday to 2,510 within 24 hours, besides one death and a recovery rate of 97 per cent.

The number of buildings sealed is now 45 and one slum area has also become an active containment zone with the increasing number of cases.