One woman from Mumbai died from Coronavirus this week (Representational)
Highlights
- Eight people have been tested positive for coronairus in Mumbai
- Tour operators have been banned from taking groups to popular spots
- With 43 cases, Maharashtra has highest number of cases in the country
After a spurt in coronavirus cases in India, Mumbai police was seen clearing crowds from roadsides and jogging tracks on Wednesday evening. Shops also reported panic-buying as the number of cases in Mumbai rose to eight on Wednesday evening.
A 68-year-old woman is the latest to test positive for the virus in the financial capital, taking the number of cases in Maharashtra to 43 - the highest in the country. The woman is the mother of a 49-year-old man who tested positive on Wednesday.
"The woman, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, is a close contact of the US-returned person, who was found infected two days ago," said Daksha Shah, deputy director of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Videos showed Mumbai Police at Carter Road asking evening walkers and joggers to leave.
"Wherever we see too many people, we are asking them to leave," a police officer said.
Private tour operators in the city have been banned from taking groups to popular spots.
The state government has declared that the staff working at government offices will be reduced to half each day. Half the workforce would be in every alternate day. No one will be allowed to stand in public buses and schoolbuses would be used to make up for the shortage.
Local trains, the city's lifeline, and offices, saw far less people than yesterday. So did Mumbai's iconic spots like Haji Ali, Film City, Dalal Street and Juhu Beach.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had warned that he would be forced to stop all trains if people did not heed the advice to stay home and avoid all travel.
Malls, cinemas, gyms, swimming pools, schools, colleges and even the bustling Juhu Chowpatty area have already been shut down in the city.
Four passengers who allegedly jumped quarantine to travel from Mumbai to Surat were taken off the Mumbai-Delhi Garib Rath train after other travelers notice the "quarantine stamp" on the back of their palms. The passengers had arrived from Germany and were heading to Surat. They had been stamped at Mumbai Airport for a 14-day compulsory quarantine.
Maharashtra started stamping people arriving from COVID-19 affected countries on Monday.
In some parts of the city, people rushed to stock up fearing a complete lockdown soon.
"100 per cent there is panic-buying. We are telling people not to be scared. But then there are rumours," said Rashmin Shah, grocery store owner.
Worldwide, 200,000 people have been infected by coronavirus. India has 151 cases, but experts warn that not enough are being tested and the number may shoot up.