Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said that the lockdown-like restrictions in Maharashtra will be extended by another 15 days beyond April 30.

Tope said that all Cabinet Ministers who participated in the meeting wanted the restrictions to be extended.

In view of the exponential rise in Covid cases, the Maharashtra government on April 4 had decided to impose strict movement restrictions in the state from 8 pm to 7 am and had applied Section 144 in the state. On weekends complete lockdown in the state was imposed. The current restrictions are till April 30.

The State Government has ordered the closure of most of the private offices and non-essential government offices. In essential government offices, the staff have been scaled down. Theatres, salons and parlours have been closed and restaurants have been asked to provide only take-away services. The timings ofmilk suppliers, groceries and vegetable providers have been reduced to just fours hours so as to prevent crowding.