In  Maharashtra ,political, social and religious gatherings have been prohibited from today till further orders  amid rise in Covid cases in  the state.<br />''<br />''The municipal corporation of greater Mumbai raided restaurants, clubs, gymkhanas and cinema halls on 20th of this month to take action against those who do not wear mask and violate Covid guidelines. In this raid, action was taken against more than 16 thousand violators in a single day. <br />''<br />''AIR correspondent reports, the MCGM authorities collected a whopping 32 lakh 30 thousand fine from the 16 thousand 154 violators who were found without facemasks. Out of the 24 wards of the MCGM, a maximum of 2 thousand 3 hundred violators were found in the K-west ward which comprise area of Andheri (west). It is to be mentioned that Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was apparently exasperated at people refusing to wear mask in public places. Sending out a stern message, Thackeray in his virtual address also said that those who wear mask would not want imposition of lockdown.  Appealing people to follow three simple rules like wearing a facemask, maintain physical distance and use sanitisers, he said that mask acts like a shield in the war against virus. He said, a person should wear mask even after inoculation. Meanwhile, in the wake of rising number of fresh cases in Nagpur the markets in the city will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Besides, the schools and colleges will also remain shut till 7th March. <br />