Maharashtra on Tuesday registered 28,699 new coronavirus cases, taking the overall count to 25,33,026. The new cases were over 16% higher than Monday’s count. The state’s toll rose to 53,589 as 132 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

The state tally of active cases stood at 2,30,641. More than 22.47 lakh people in the state have recovered from the disease.

Mumbai registered 3,512 new cases, taking its overall count to 3,69,426. Eight more deaths pushed the city’s toll to 11,600. This was the third straight day that Mumbai recorded more than 3,000 cases. The new cases were nearly 8% higher than Monday.

Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, banned Holi celebrations in public and private spaces amid the surge in cases. It said that strict action will be taken against those who flout the norms.

India registered 40,715 daily infections on Tuesday, taking the tally to 1,16,86,796. The toll rose by 199 to 1,60,166. Maharashtra has been the top contributor to the sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

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Covid-19: States may impose localised restrictions, says Centre in new guidelines

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said people need to follow coronavirus-related safety protocols to avoid another lockdown. The minister said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was of the view that lockdown may become necessary in some cities if new cases continue to climb.

On Tuesday, the Centre released new coronavirus-related guidelines for all the states and Union Territories for effectively controlling the rise in cases. It allowed the states to impose local restrictions based on their assessment of the situation.

The Union government also directed the states to strictly enforce the “test- track-treat protocol” and ensure that Covid-appropriate behaviour is followed. It asked the states to consider imposing fines for the violation of safety protocol.

The home ministry asked the states to expedite inoculation. “Vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission,” the ministry said.