India’s financial capital Mumbai is most likely to witness an extended lockdown measures until at least April 30 as authorities working rapidly to check the spread of coronavirus cases in the city, three senior officials said.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in late March in a bid to fight the epidemic is set to end on April 14.
But Mumbai, with a population of more than 20 million, has emerged to be India’s coronavirus epicentre. The metropolis and its suburbs have so far reported 782 positive cases and 50 deaths, the latest health report said on Wednesday.
“In Mumbai cases are rising too fast. In just 24 hours 100 cases were reported on Tuesday,” said a senior state government official, adding that the trend is at alarming and an extension of the lockdown for at least another two weeks is necessary in a bid to put a check on the spread of virus from spreading in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
