Mumbai goes into near complete shutdown: What's closed, what's not

With the countrys highest number of COVID19 patients here the state government has taken a step towards imposing a lockdown in Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared on Friday that all private and corporate offices and shops barring those selling essential commodities in Mumbai Pune PimpriChinchwad and Nagpur will be shut from Friday midnight till March 31 Suburban trains and public transport buses will continue to runGovernment offices wherever needed will have 25 per cent staffSources said the shutdown would be extended to the entire state if the COVID19 cases dont subside In Fridays order there was no clarity about closing down hotels and restaurants where food and beverages are served The earlier shutdown order on March 13 included schools colleges malls pubs discotheques gyms swimming pools cinema halls and auditoriums mill compounds the Sanjay Gandhi National Park SGNP and amusement parks Mass gatherings have been banned at public and private placesCSMT was far less crowded during peak hours on Friday Pic Suresh KarkeraSome people suggested that the local trains and buses should be stopped But then we realised that the employees who are giving us essential services use trains and buses to commute The civic employees hospital staff and ambulance drivers travel on suburban trains to reach their work places So we have decided to keep the mass transport services open and lessen the crowd by having only 25 staff in other government offices All private offices small or big will not work from Friday midnight said Thackeray in Fridays webcastViolators to be punishedCity civic chief Pravin Pardeshi issued an amended order under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 after the CMs address He said violation of the order would invite action under section 188 of the Indian Penal CodeThe order said establishments providing essential services such as drinking water seweragesanitation banking and the apex bank RBI telephone and Internet rail and transport food groceries and vegetables hospitals medical centres and medical stores electricity petroleum power and energy media houses ports and IT jobs that support essential services have been excluded from the shutdown Productionmanufacturing of goods that need continuous process will work with 50 staffPardeshi who heads the citys Disaster Management Cell said in case of a doubt he will decide what was essential service or establishment and his decision will be finalRoads closedPardeshi also closed all roads near the isolation centre Kasturba Hospital and quarantine centres SevenHills and KEM Hospitals for traffic The city police have been asked to restrict vehicular movement there and facilitate people who go there either for testing or quarantine admissionAssistant commissioners of police who have magisterial powers for their areas of jurisdiction have been asked to advise people to not gather at beaches and public spacesThe Eastern Freeway saw less traffic on Thursday PicAtul KambleThe fine for spitting in public places has been increased to Rs 1000 and the civic sanitary staff and police personnel have been authorised to enforce penal action against offendersThe civic assistant commissioners zonal deputy commissioners and police officers who are part of the jointaction group have been given full authority to implement the measures very strictlyWhats open in Mumbai essential servicesDrinking waterSewerage servicesBanks including RBITelephone and Internet servicesRail and transportationFood vegetable grocery storesHospitals medical centres medical stores Electricity petroleum oil energyMediaPortWhats closed in MumbaiVehicular movement around isolation centres quarantine centres like Kasturba Hospital KEM Hospital SevenHills HospitalSchools cinema halls swimming pools gyms mallsmill compound spa centres clubs pubs discos SGNP amusement parks etcMass congregations functionsBeaches and public placesAll nonessential service providing officesCorporates and establishments to function with 50 staffCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates