Coronavirus: Mumbai Police invoke section 144 to ban group tours

Mumbai: In the wake of coronavirus scare, the Mumbai Police on Sunday invoked section 144 of the CrPC to prohibit tour operators from conducting any kind of group tours to foreign or domestic destinations till March 31.

If any tour operator is found flouting the order, action will be taken against him under IPC 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

"With a view to prevent danger to human life, health or safety, we hereby promulgate an order under Section 144 of the CrPC in the areas under the control of Commissioner of Police, prohibiting the conduct of any business, holiday or other type of tours involving groups of people travelling together to a foreign or domestic destination organised by private tour operators," a police order read.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranay Ashok said, "We have issued this order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This will prohibit the tour operators from conducting any kind of tour involving a group of people."

"This is a very specific order aimed at preventing danger to human life and safety. It will be in force till March 31. It should not be confused with the regular order issued under section 144 CrPC," he said.

"If any operator has to take a group of people on a tour, then he may do so after seeking permission from the office of the Commissioner of Police. Anybody found flouting this order shall be punished under IPC section 188," he added.

Talking about the measures taken by the police to prevent the spread of coronavirus, he said, "We have already asked our offices to avoid handshake with people and use the traditional 'namaste'."

"We have distributed masks as well as sanitisers to the police stations for use. We advise people to avoid public gathering, assembling and roaming outside. In case people don't feel well, they should approach nearby government hospitals. People should not believe in fake news," Ashok said.

Maharashtra: the worst-hit state

With the number of coronavirus positive cases shooting to 31, Maharashtra has emerged as the worst-hit state by the global pandemic in the country. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 107 on Sunday.

Five new cases were detected in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district, late on Saturday night, a health official said.

Four of them had come in contact with a group which had returned from Dubai. Some members of this group have already tested positive. Another person had visited Thailand recently, the health official said.

In a related development, three coronavirus suspected cases who had fled from the isolation ward in the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital on Saturday, returned to the facility early on Sunday.

Similarly, three out of four coronavirus suspects who ran away from the Mayo Hospital in Nagpur have also returned, and efforts on to trace the fourth.

Maharashtra has gone into a shutdown mode with closure of all schools, colleges, malls, swimming pools, gym and fitness centres, public places, cancellation of all public events, religious processions, etc., till March 31 as a precaution. Grocery stores which sell commodities of daily need will remain open.

The IIT-Bombay has also suspended all classroom and laboratory instructions till March 29 besides imposing other stringent rules for its students, hostellers, faculty, staff, visitors, etc.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday that examinations of classes one to nine will be postponed if they are being held currently, only the std 10th and 12th board exams will take place as per the schedule.

Of the new patients confirmed in Mumbai, one is resident of the city while others are from Kamothe, Vashi and Kalyan, all peripheral towns. All are admitted to Kasturba Hospital here and their condition is stable, BMC deputy director, health, Daksha Shah said.

Earlier in the day, two persons who had recently returned from Dubai were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Maharashtra's Yavatmal city.

Some of the persons who tested positive have history of travelling to the United States, Dubai, France, the Philippines and Qatar, a health department statement said.