New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Further tightening the clampdown in the state in view of the growing number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday ordered all private offices, shops and commercial establishments to shut down in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, besides slashing the attendance in government offices to 25 per cent and cancelling all examinations from Class 1 to 8.
“The shutdown will be applicable in Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur”, Thackeray said as reported by news agency PTI adding “Government offices will operate at 25 per cent attendance”.
“All exams from class 1 to 8 are cancelled, all students to be promoted to next classes without exam”, Maharashtra’s education minister Varsha Gaikwad said as reported by ANI.
She further said, "Exams for class 9th & 11th will be conducted after 15th April, 2020. Teachers, except the ones for class 10th, can work from home. 2 papers of class 10th are left. It'll take place as per schedule. These decisions are for SSC Board".
Maharashtra so far has 52 coronavirus positive cases, while one Covid-19 patients died in Mumbai this week. Thackeray said maximum number of patients were from these cities and had travelled abroad.
These measures shall be effective from Friday midnight and will be strictly implemented barring extremely essential services like grocery shops, dairies, pharmacies and banks
Uddhav Thackeray also said that only essential services will remain open which includefood, milk and medicines. All banks will also remain functional, he added.
The attendance in government offices will be brought down to 25 per cent from the present 50 per cent on rotation basis as announced earlier, he said.
The Chief Minister also ruled out shutting down public transport in Mumbai. "The trains and buses are the city's lifeline and cannot be stopped. I have been advised to take this step. But doing this will affect movement of those working in places which provide essential services to the city”, he said.
He said people have heeded to his request to stay at home and the trains and buses are not crowded as usual.
"I appeal to employers to ensure that the minimum wage of their workers are ensured during the shutdown period," he said adding that it is only humanity that will win against all odds. The global war against coronavirus is such that people have to stay at home to live”, Thackeray said.
(With agencies Inputs)