Lockdown in Mumbai? Fear intensifies as city records highest number of cases so far

Mumbai recorded 5,185 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. This is the city's biggest-ever single-day spike, and a nearly 48% increase as government data showed on Wednesday evening. The city also reported six deaths from coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours. This is the first time that Mumbai has reported over 5,000 cases in a single day.

On Tuesday evening the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation reported 3,512 new cases, an 8% increase in 24 hours. On Sunday the city recorded 3,775 new cases.

With the steady spike, there are now nearly 30,000 active cases of COVID-19 in Mumbai.

The city has banned the celebration of Holi in public which falls on March 28 and 29 and no gatherings will be allowed in both public and private spaces. 

Those found violating the no-Holi order or refusing to be tested will be charged under the Epidemic Diseases Act or Disaster Management Act.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has warned of a lockdown if people continue to disobey rules.

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded more than 31,000 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise since the pandemic began. With 31,855 new COVID-19 cases, the state's tally reached 25,64,881, according to the health bulletin.

The death toll is pushed to 53,684 after recording 95 virus-related fatalities today, according to the daily health bulletin. There are 2,47,299 active cases in the state now. The case fatality rate stands at 2.09%.

Meanwhile, a new double mutant variant of coronavirus has been identified in India, according to the Ministry of Health.