Maharashtra shuts cinemas, hotels, malls and imposes night curfew as virus surges

India's richest state, Maharashtra, announced stringent COVID-19 restrictions from Monday, after a rapid rise in infections now accounting for more than half the daily new cases in India.

The state, which includes the financial capital Mumbai, will shut down malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants and places of worship from Monday evening.

Authorities will also impose a complete lockdown on weekends, Nawab Malik, a minister in the state government, told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Malik said the government will also impose a night curfew across the state from 8:00 pm to 7:00 am from Monday, allowing only essential services to operate during those hours.

The state's Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met with a group of top industrialists on Sunday before announcing the new restrictions, according to a statement from his office.

Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in India with the number of new infections nearing an all-time high on Sunday, largely driven by infections in Maharashtra.

The country reported 93,249 new cases in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, according to data from the federal Health Ministry. Maharashtra, which accounts for less than a tenth of India's population, accounted for a record 49,447 new cases.

The state, according to health ministry data, has contributed 57% of total cases and 47% of deaths in the country in the last 14 days.

Reuters