Shut-down in major cities will continue till further order

The order to shut down commercial establishments, educational institutes and workplaces in major cities in Maharashtra would remain in force till further notice, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday. Amid growing concern over the spread of the coronavirus, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day announced that all workplaces in Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Nagpur will remain closed till March 31.

Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said, "The shut-down will be in force till further orders." Meanwhile, when asked about reports about his son Parth Pawar's visit to Singapore, Ajit Pawar said, "He had not traveled to any foreign country in the recent past. I can show his passport. These are false and baseless claims." Pawar also denied that the state government had imposed any restrictions on newspaper distribution in Pune.