Top malls, multiplexes, the Byculla zoo and the Taraporevala Aquarium in Mumbai have been closed as the state government strives to contain the spread of the virus
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the country rose to 107 on Sunday. With 12 new cases reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, the state government put Mumbai, the financial capital, in a semi-lockdown mode. Top malls, multiplexes, the Byculla zoo and the Taraporevala Aquarium in Mumbai have been closed as the state government strives to contain the spread of the virus.
So far, Maharashtra has reported 32 confirmed cases of COVID-19, ahead of Kerala’s 22 cases. In a conversation with Business Standard, officials at Inorbit Mall confirmed that their Malad and Vashi properties were closed on Sunday, and that it would remain shut for few days. R-City Mall in Ghatkopar, Phoenix Market City in Kurla, and Infiniti Mall in Andheri and Malad have all downed shutters to avoid congregation of people.
The World Health Organization, monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, has identified community transmission as one of the reasons for the spread of coronavirus. On Friday, the state government had announced that cinema halls, gyms, and swimming pools in cities including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Nagpur would be shut till further orders. Schools and colleges would also be closed in all urban areas within the state till March 31, Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said.
The impact on business has been severe due to the lockdown. Footfalls across malls, multiplexes and restaurants in the city were down 50-60 per cent in the last one week, industry experts tracking the retail market said, as confirmed cases began growing. Now, the complete shutdown of malls and multiplexes has meant that business has come to a grinding halt, said Anuj Kejriwal, managing director and chief executive officer, Anarock Retail. “This has financial implications since even a short-term closure hits retail hard,” he said.
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