Mumbai yesterday reported seven new Omicron Covid cases (File)
Covid restrictions in place in Mumbai will continue till December 31 and orders (under Sec 144) banning all large gatherings in public spaces, Mumbai Police said in an order issued Wednesday.
Restrictions that will remain in place include an order mandating all employees of all shops and commercial establishments, including those in malls, to be fully (double) vaccinated.
All customers must also be fully vaccinated, the order reminded people.
People wishing to use all forms of public transport, including the commuter trains that are the lifeblood of the bustling city, also need to have receive both vaccine doses, the police reiterated.
The order also repeats the need for all those arriving in the state (by any means of transport) to either be fully vaccinated or hold a negative RT-PCR test valid for 72 hours.
There will be a limit - 50 per cent of maximum capacity - on the number of people allowed at any event or programme in the city, whether in a closed or open space.
For any gathering of more than 1,000 people, local disaster management officials must be informed.
This extension of the orders will come into effect from 12.01 am Thursday and stay in place till midnight on December 31, or withdrawn earlier, the Police Commissioner said.
Yesterday eight more Omicron cases were logged in the state - seven from Mumbai and the eighth from the city's outskirts. None had any history of international travel and all but one are vaccinated.
Total Omicron cases in Maharashtra are 28 - 12 from Mumbai, 10 from Pimpri Chinchwad, two from Pune, and one each from Kalyan Dombivali, Nagpur, Latur, and Vasai Virar areas.
On December 1, when international airports across India enforced strict regulations for passengers from 'at-risk' countries, Maharashtra went further, making institutional quarantine mandatory.
The move was discouraged by the centre and, in revised, rules, only those from three 'ultra-risk' nations "shall be deboarded on priority.... (and) sent to mandatory 7 days' institutional quarantine".
India has reported 60 Omicron Covid cases since announcing the first two on December 2.
This morning Telangana reported two new cases. A third passenger also tested positive, but he was en route to Kolkata by the time his status was confirmed.