COVID-19 update | Maharashtra imposes lockdown in Amravati; restrictions in Yavatmal due to spike in cases

Lockdown has been imposed in Amravati District from 8 pm on February 19 to 7 am , owing to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The announcement was made by Shelesh Naval, the district collector of Amravati, ANI reported.

Maharashtra | "Owing to rising cases, lockdown declared in Amravati District from Saturday 8pm to Monday 7 am": Shelesh Naval, District Collector, Amravati pic.twitter.com/iTIIWxXKnu

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— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2021

The district collector of Yavatmal, MD Singh, has also announced that restrictions will be put in place owing to a rise in cases. "It is not a lockdown," the collector said, according to ANI reports.

Maharashtra | Restrictions are being put in place in Yavatmal district due to rising COVID19 cases. It is not a lockdown: District Collector MD Singh

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A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

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— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2021

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar warned on February 16 that a lockdown may be re-imposed in the city if people continue to flout basic COVID-19 prevention rules. Pednekar’s warning came amid concerns over a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra.

“It’s a matter of concern. Most people travelling in trains don’t wear masks. People must take precautions else we’ll head towards another lockdown. Whether a lockdown will be implemented again is in the hands of people,” Pednekar said.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Maharashtra were the worst-affected areas of the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in February-March 2020.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued fresh guidelines in Mumbai amid rising cases of COVID19. According to this, if  5 or more Covid patients are found in a building, it will be sealed, the BMC Commissioner IS Chahal said on February 18, ANI reported.