PM speaks to Maha CM on coronavirus mitigation efforts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday to discuss the state's preparedness to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak. The telephonic conversation, which took place at 11 pm, was centred on the efforts by the state and the Centre to tackle the situation. Thackeray informed the PM about the measures taken by his government, sources said.

Maharashtra, which has 32 Covid-19 cases as on Sunday morning, has already invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 that gives wide-ranging powers to officials to enforce measures, including that of lockdown and quarantine, required to tackle an outbreak. The state government has ordered the closure of educational institutions, theatres, malls, parks, swimming pools, gymnasiums etc to stop the spread of coronavirus..