Mumbai, December 23: The night curfew, which came into effect in Mumbai from earlier this week and will continue till January 5, would not hinder the movement of people to and from the airport. A clarification issued by the Mumbai Police makes it clear that those travelling to the airport for their scheduled departures, or arriving from the airport after their flight landings, would be exempted.

The use of face masks and maintaining social distancing, however, would be necessitated. The clarification came as a respite for those who were scheduled to take flights or return to the city. Several flights, a bulk of those operated by international airliners, arrive or depart post the midnight. Night Curfew Imposed in Karnataka Till January 2, 2021 Amid New Coronavirus Strain Fears.

The night curfew in Maharashtra came into effect on Monday, and will continue till January 5. As per the restrictions announced, all form of non-essential travel would be banned between 11 pm in the night to 6 am in the morning.

The move, taken in view of the COVID-19 threat, is aimed at preventing parties where social distancing norms could be violated. Annually, the period around the New Year's Day witnesses a slew of parties that stretch till the early morning hours.

While the tally of active cases in Maharashtra remains below 60,000 -- way lower than the initial phase of pandemic -- the state is taking precautionary measures to avert a second wave of COVID-19 crisis. Apart from Mumbai, the night curfew has been imposed under areas which come under jurisdiction of all municipal corporations in the state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2020 04:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).