The Mumbai civic body on Friday permitted the home delivery of liquor in all areas except containment zones. The municipal body clarified that over the counter sales will remain prohibited amid the nationwide lockdown to slow down the spread of coronavirus.

The order came five days after the Maharashtra government permitted home delivery of liquor in red zones. On May 5, the Mumbai body had ordered the closure of all liquor shops and stores selling non-essential items because of the violation of physical distancing rules.

“I issue orders excluding the containment zones, the liquor shops selling liquor in sealed bottles can be permitted to operate by selling liquor to the customers by effecting delivery of the permitted liquor to the home address of the customer, if such an order is placed,” Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal said in an order.

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The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai, India’s biggest coronavirus hotspot, continues to increase at an alarming rate. On Friday, the city reported 1,751 coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 27,068. The toll stood at 909.

At a press briefing earlier on Friday, the Union health ministry said that five major cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Thane – account for 60% of the active cases in the country. The health ministry added that around 80% of active cases were in five states, including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Maharashtra reported a record increase in the number of coronavirus cases on Friday. The state’s tally came close to 45,000 with 2,940 cases. On Thursday, the government announced that it will take over 80% of the beds in private hospitals and nursing homes across the state for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

India recorded 6,088 new coronavirus cases – the biggest single-day jump in figures so far. With this, the total number of cases reached 1.18 lakh and the toll rose to 3,583 after 148 new fatalities.