The decision was taken after a meeting of the Maharashtra government yesterday.
Maharashtra today ordered tougher measures to fight Covid, saying groceries, vegetable shops and dairies will be open only for four hours and home delivery will not be allowed after 8 pm.
All groceries, vegetable shops, dairies, bakeries, fruit vendors will be open only between 7 am and 11am, according to a new state order. This goes for bakeries, confectionaries and all shops selling food (including chicken, mutton, poultry, fish and eggs). These shops were open until 8 pm, but now only have a four-hour window.
Home deliveries may be allowed from 7 am to 8 pm, depending on local authorities, according to the order.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the Maharashtra government yesterday. It was discussed that people were going out in the name of buying groceries through the day, crowding market places.
Maharashtra is the worst-affected state in the deadly second wave of infections in the country and is among the 10 states that account for close to 78 per cent of the new Covid cases reported in a day.
The state recorded its highest-ever number of Covid cases in a day - 68,631 - on Sunday.
Yesterday, the number dipped to 58,924 fresh infections and 351 deaths in 24 hours.
The state government had enforced 15-day "lockdown-like" restrictions from April 14 to slow the spread of the virus, apart from weekend lockdowns.
The restrictions included a ban on gatherings and only essential activities.