Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he saw the imposition of lockdown as an option amid the surge in coronavirus cases in the state, PTI reported.

“But I trust people of the state to cooperate and follow the COVID-19 norms voluntarily like the last time,” he added.

Maharashtra registered 25,833 new coronavirus cases on Thursday – its highest one-day rise in infections since the beginning of the pandemic. The state’s overall count went up to 23,96,340. Fifty-eight more deaths pushed its toll to 53,138.

The Maharashtra chief minister noted that the government had no tools to fight the pandemic last year, but now vaccines were available. “The priority now is to ensure that everyone is vaccinated,” he was quoted as saying by PTI. “People should come forward to take the vaccine.”

Thackeray said there were some cases of people getting infected after vaccination, but such instances were not life-threatening. He appealed to the people to get inoculated without any fear.

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Coronavirus: India records 39,726 cases – highest daily infection count in over three months

Earlier on Friday, the Maharashtra government announced a new set of curbs to combat the surge in coronavirus cases. All offices, cinema halls and auditoriums in the state will operate with 50% attendance till March 31. Shopping malls will only allow entry to visitors wearing masks.

Meanwhile, civic authorities in Mumbai made it mandatory for all malls to ensure that visitors carry a negative Rapid Antigen Test report with them. Mumbai had registered 2,877 cases on Thursday– its biggest one-day rise so far.

India on Friday recorded 39,726 new infections, taking the tally to 1,15,14,331. This was the country’s highest daily increase in coronavirus cases in over three months. Friday was also the ninth straight day when the country recorded over 20,000 infections. With 154 deaths, India’s toll rose to 1,59,370.

Maharashtra has emerged as the top contributor to India’s coronavirus surge. The health ministry on Friday said that the state accounted for 65% of the new cases.